We have mentioned this item before, albeit briefly. It concerns calls from so called law firms and claims companies, the pitch is usually that a court case has been heard and assets have been seized, usually from companies that have taken money from you in the past.
These will range from resale scams, bogus Section 75 claims companies to fake law firms. These new companies are probably the same ones that took the money from you in the first place. Hence they know all the details.
If you have ever paid a company and they have disappeared, or even been closed down by the authorities, you would probably have been informed at the time. Especially if you reported it to the authorities yourself. The courts do not contract out to others to trace you. That is the job of the Courts and Police.
The way the scam works is very simple, you are informed by telephone or email that the court has awarded you ex amount. Usually more than you actually paid, this is the enticer. Quite often a second call from an official sounding body confirms this. You may be given a number to verify the information given, when you do call, it will be confirmed that this is the case and you have indeed been awarded the money.
(see link below)
http://insidetimeshare.com/fraud-warning/
Then comes the crunch.
In order for you to receive the amount stated, taxes will have to be paid, in advance, you may even receive via email an official looking form from the tax office. (Easily downloaded from the internet see pdf below). Now in order to get the tax you will also need a Spanish NIE number. This is called Numero de Identificación de Extranjero, or Foreigner’s Identification Number. It is a Spanish tax identification number issued to all foreigners. Now this is a stroke of luck, the company calling can also arrange this for you, obviously for a fee.
Now, you do not need this number unless you come under the following:
- Open a bank account
- Buying, selling or insuring a property
- Arranging a mortgage or credit
- Pay taxes
- Being employed
- Registering with employment agencies
- Registering to study
- Applying to start a business
- Registering with social services, receiving social security benefits
- Applying for a driving licence
- Inheriting assets
You would not need it to receive any money due in compensation paid by a court plus there would not be any tax to pay.
For more information on NIE Numbers check the link below:
https://www.angloinfo.com/spain/how-to/page/spain-moving-residency-nie-number
These types of fraud are becoming ever more sophisticated, we have seen a great rise in recent times of this pitch. This is mainly due to the publicity of genuine court cases being won in Spain, the people use the fact that these cases are being shown in the news, which then convinces you they are indeed genuine.
Remember, the courts do not operate in this way, there are procedures they follow. If you are not aware that you are part of a case, then you probably are not. If you have never reported any loss of money to any type of scam, then you probably are not part of any case. There is only one way to claim any compensation and that is by going through the courts yourself with a genuine law firm.
If you receive any calls like this contact Inside Timeshare and we will check it out for you. This is what we do, research and research, giving you the tools to find out the truth. We are here to help you save your hard earned money.
