The Bank of Spain received 9,179 fraud claims in 2025, an 18.5% increase compared to the previous year. That's 25 new cases each day, driven by the rise of digital banking services.
Digital scams have become the main headache for banking customers in Spain. The Bank of Spain recorded 9,179 fraud claims last year, representing an increase of 18.5% compared to 2024. This amounts to 25 new cases each day, according to the Complaints Report presented this Thursday in Barcelona.
The agency attributes this increase to the growth of digital services offered by banks. More and more transactions are conducted online or via mobile, and scammers exploit any loophole. Alberto Ríos, director general of financial conduct and banknotes at the Bank of Spain, explained that fraud in payment instruments — transfers and cards — is the most reported issue.
“The most reported issue has been fraud in payment instruments, mainly in transfers and cards,” Ríos noted at the presentation event.
Despite the surge, fraud remains a drop in the ocean of electronic payments. The Bank of Spain estimates that it only represents 2 euros out of every 100,000 that are transacted. “In absolute terms, it does not pose a financial stability problem, but the increasing use of digital means makes it a growing issue,” Ríos clarified.
The most common scam methods
Scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Phishing, identity theft, and payments to another account motivated by deception are the most common techniques. Criminals impersonate the bank or well-known companies to obtain passwords or personal data. They also send SMS or emails with fraudulent links that redirect to cloned pages.
For the average user, the advice is clear: never share passwords or verification codes via phone, email, or SMS. Banks never ask for this information. In case of any suspicion, it is best to contact the institution directly through its official channels and not click on unexpected links.
If a customer has fallen victim to fraud, they should report it to the police and claim from the bank. If the institution does not resolve the issue, they can turn to the Bank of Spain, which acts as an arbitrator. However, the path is not always successful.
Few claims succeed in favour of the customer
The overall claims figure halved compared to 2024, when 56,099 were recorded. The reason is that complaints about abusive mortgage fees plummeted following the Supreme Court ruling that benefited customers. In contrast, fraud claims continue to rise.
By institutions, the ranking of claims is led by the major banks, directly related to their market share and mortgage volume. Caixabank tops the list with 6,156 claims, followed by BBVA (5,700) and Banco Santander (4,229). In total, the institutions returned 6.8 million euros to customers.
For the customer, the practical lesson is that, although digital fraud is on the rise, most claims do not succeed. Therefore, prevention remains the best defence. The Bank of Spain recommends periodically reviewing account movements, activating security alerts, and not trusting offers or urgent messages that request personal data.
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