Spain confronts €1.5 bn loss from Bizum scams and €760 m summer retail thefts

Spanish authorities recorded more than 380,000 complaints of digital fraud in 2025, a 58 % rise since 2020, with an estimated €1.5 billion in consumer losses. The most common method was impersonating the Bizum payment system, accounting for over 60,000 scams in 2024, followed by banking phishing, telephone scams and online fraud on platforms such as Amazon and Wallapop. The legal framework includes the Spanish Penal Code (arts. 248‑251) and the Payment Services Law, which require banks to refund unauthorized transactions.

A separate study by Checkpoint Systems estimates that summer retail thefts in Spain will cost retailers more than €760 million between June and September, representing 27 % of annual shoplifting losses. Organized groups and repeat offenders, many under 30, target high‑demand seasonal items such as sunscreen, alcohol, ibérico products and football‑related merchandise. The report warns that the surge in tourist traffic creates a favourable environment for these crimes.