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The fraudster pilled on the pressure, threatening to report Barcelona to UEFA if they did not make payment and even demanded an additional €250,000 for his silence.
Spanish giants Barcelona were the target of a sophisticated fraud scheme involving Robert Lewandowski's agent.
A fraudster, posing as a representative of Lewandowski's agent Pini Zahavi, successfully deceived the Catalan club into transferring €1 million (1,834,290,000 naira) to a Cypriot bank account.
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According to an investigation by Cadena SER, the fraudster, using the false identity of "Michael Hermanus Gerardus Demon," pressured Barcelona to make the payment under the guise of settling a transfer-related fee.
Barcelona wired the funds to an account at Banc de Xipre, but the bank’s compliance department flagged the transaction as suspicious.
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Despite raising red flags with the bank's compliance department, Barcelona initially proceeded with the payment.
Barcelona confirmed to Cadena SER that they were the target of an attempted fraud, which has led them to strengthen their anti-fraud protocols.
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However, after Barcelona contacted Zahavi, who denied any knowledge of the fraudulent individual, the bank froze the funds.
The fraudster subsequently escalated the pressure, threatening to report Barcelona to UEFA if they did not pay and demanding an additional €250,000 for silence.
Fortunately, Barcelona managed to recover part of the money from the Cypriot bank. While no criminal investigation has been launched as of now, the club has confirmed the attempted fraud and has strengthened its anti-fraud protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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Lewandowski joined the Catalan giants from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022 for an initial fee of €45 million and has proven his value on the pitch, netting 71 goals in 106 appearances.
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