A sophisticated scam has allowed a criminal network to raise 1.8 million euros by impersonating the Princess of Asturias Foundation and offering potential victims tables of honour alongside the Royal Family at the awards ceremony. As revealed by elmundo.es, the fraud was so polished that it deceived institutions and individuals who had attended the Oviedo gala years earlier.

An irresistible bait: close to the King at the Campoamor

The Princess of Asturias Awards are one of the most sought-after events in Spain's institutional calendar. The ceremony, held annually at the Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo, brings together all five members of the Royal Family in a single public appearance: the King and Queen, their two daughters and Queen Sofía. With only 1,491 seats in the theatre, demand for tickets far exceeds supply, making attendance a symbol of social status.

The scammers understood this appetite for proximity to the monarchy well and decided to exploit it ruthlessly. Their strategy was not crude fraud, but high-level social engineering.

WhatsApp from the King's Chief of Staff: how the scam worked

The modus operandi was meticulous. The victims—people who had attended previous editions of the awards—received WhatsApp messages from a number impersonating Camilo Villarino, Chief of His Majesty the King's Household. The initial message was brief and compelling: Felipe VI "wished to have contact" with the recipient.

The tone was impeccable, the context credible. Many fell for it. Once they responded, a second contact arrived, this time by email, signed with the diplomat's full name. The sender attached a PDF bearing the Princess of Asturias Foundation letterhead detailing:

• Proposals for "table placement" at the gala
• "Charitable participation options" for the 2026 Princess of Asturias Awards
• Promises of a privileged position alongside the Royal Family

In exchange, they requested large sums of money that supposedly would guarantee reservations for front-row seats.

A professional fraud that has raised millions

What makes this operation especially serious is its sophistication. This is not the typical SMS scam with fraudulent links that steal banking details. Here the criminal makes personalised contact, uses real names of known public officials, generates false documentation with institutional logos and targets only people who presumably have economic capacity and connections to the world of public representation.

The figure of 1.8 million raised suggests that dozens of people, possibly entire institutions, fell for the trap. So far it has not emerged whether any arrests have been made or whether the National Police have opened an investigation.

What to know if you receive similar messages

Authorities have not yet commented on this specific case, but experts in electronic fraud recommend that when receiving any WhatsApp or email contact from public figures or institutions offering exclusive opportunities in exchange for money, verification should be made directly with the institution through known official channels, never responding to the number or email of the suspicious message.

How many more Spaniards could be contacted right now with the same promise of being close to the King?