A bar owner in Granada has sparked outrage for an alleged two-year scam inflicted on a loyal 94-year-old customer.
According to police, the 57-year-old suspect repeatedly made unauthorised charges on the pensioner’s card each time he paid for his morning coffee, ultimately stealing more than €22,000.
The case, first revealed in October last year, has gone viral on social media this week after garnering a fresh wave of backlash.
Investigators said the suspect used the same excuse every day. He allegedly claimed that the card machine on the terrace ‘had no coverage’, before asking the elderly customer to go inside the bar to pay.
Once indoors, and without the man realising, the bar owner allegedly charged not only the real cost of the breakfast but also additional fraudulent amounts.
In some cases, a single visit resulted in extra charges of up to €450.
The illegal payments are believed to have taken place between June 2023 and June 2025. The victim’s complete trust in the establishment, where he was a well-known regular, allowed the scam to continue for so long without raising suspicion.
The fraud only came to light after the man’s family detected suspicious movements on his bank account and filed a complaint. The Policia Nacional then launched an investigation, which led to the arrest of the cafe owner.
A judge has since ordered the suspect to be held in pre-trial detention, accused of a continuing offence of fraud.
It remains unclear whether the full amount will be recovered or whether other customers may also have been targeted. The bar involved has so far made no public statement.
Under Spanish law, fraud offences carry different penalties depending on the amount involved and the circumstances:
Aggravated cases can land you up to six years in prison.
In this case, several aggravating factors could apply, including the advanced age and vulnerability of the victim.
Prosecutors will now assess whether these elements justify a harsher sentence once the case goes to trial.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
