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Madrid Police Detain Two Over Bot-Fueled Resale of Immigration Appointments

Police describe an automated mass-booking scheme that clogged the immigration appointment line, fueling a black market for scarce slots.

Overview

  • Officers detained two men in Madrid after an October 16 patrol found them operating multiple phones inside a parked car in Puente de Vallecas.
  • Investigators say a software bot placed mass calls to the official Extranjería and Asilo booking line, saturating the service and hindering legitimate users.
  • The suspects allegedly resold captured appointments for €50 each, with payments made by bank transfer.
  • Police seized four mobile phones and a notebook listing names and other sensitive personal data of foreign nationals.
  • Both suspects were placed at judicial disposal on suspected fraud and computer damage offenses, in a practice that ABC previously reported has led to more than 120 arrests in earlier crackdowns.