BARCELONA, Spain — Spanish football giant FC Barcelona has reportedly been the target of a sophisticated fraud attempt that nearly cost the club €1 million (£830,000).
The scam involved an individual posing as a representative of star striker Robert Lewandowski’s agent and demanded the transfer of funds to a foreign bank account.
Lewandowski, who joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022 for an initial fee of €45 million (£37 million), has since been an instrumental player for the Catalan club, scoring 71 goals in 106 matches.
However, in the months following the high-profile transfer, Barcelona encountered a serious financial threat behind the scenes.
According to an investigation by Cadena SER, the fraudster, using the alias Michael Hermanus Gerardus Demon, contacted Barcelona, claiming to be Lewandowski’s lawyer working on behalf of his agent, Pini Zahavi.
The scammer convinced the club that €1 million needed to be transferred to a Cypriot bank account at Banc de Xipre.
Barcelona, unaware of the scam, eventually agreed to make the payment after multiple communications with the fraudster.
Fortunately, the bank’s compliance department flagged the transaction as suspicious and froze the funds, preventing the fraudster from accessing them.
Further investigation revealed that the individual had no prior banking history with the Cypriot bank, raising additional concerns.
When asked for verification, Barcelona reached out to Zahavi, who confirmed that he had no knowledge of the person claiming to represent him.
As a result, the bank permanently froze the €1 million payment, saving the club from a significant financial loss.
Despite the intervention, ‘Mr. Demon’ threatened to report Barcelona to UEFA and demanded an additional €250,000 (£207,000) to remain silent about the affair.
However, Barcelona successfully recovered the initial €1 million, and no further payments were made.
While the scam was foiled, it raised serious concerns about the vulnerability of high-profile football clubs to fraud.
Barcelona has since confirmed to Cadena SER that it was targeted in the fraud attempt and has moved to strengthen its anti-fraud protocols to prevent future incidents.
Interestingly, Catalan police have not launched a formal criminal investigation, as the Spanish club has yet to file a complaint about the matter.
However, the close call has prompted the club to reassess its internal controls and take measures to enhance financial security.
The attempted fraud comes amid a period of financial instability for Barcelona, which has been working to recover from significant debts accumulated in recent years.
