Living a life of luxury with ‘cloned’ credit cards

FOUR expats were arrested in Marbella when attempting to rent a Rolls Royce that cost €6,000 a day.

They are accused of cloning credit cards belonging to US citizens, and in less than a week had reportedly spent around €330,000, it is estimated.

Items bought on the cards included €1,000 bottles of Champagne, nights in suites at five-star hotels, a €60,000 exclusive party at an establishment in Mijas Costa, as well as large tabs in pubs and shops along the coast.

The detainees would clone the credit cards, and use them in shops and hospitality establishments, according to investigators. It is believed that many of the luxury items were bought in order to later sell at a reduced price.

Various bank cards and fake documents as well as the various luxury items bought on the cards along the Costa del Sol, mainly in Puerto Banus, were seized.

The reason they chose North Americans is that there is a delay before the victims would realize money had been taken from their accounts and cancel their cards.

Two of the detainees, who are aged between 19 and 45, were Dutch and a third French; they have all been remanded in prison.

The fourth detainee was a Romanian woman, who has been released on charges.