Network that blocked and resold immigration appointments busted

Getting an appointment at the immigration office was a nightmare for thousands of people. Now the police have discovered that a criminal organization was behind this shortage of appointments. They have arrested 69 people in 16 provinces for using a computer “bot” to snap up appointments and then sell them for prices ranging from 30 to 200 euros.

The bot operated 24 hours a day. It was programmed to detect when appointments became available on the official website and would automatically snap them up. It did so by bypassing CAPTCHAs and using VPN connections that changed its IP address to avoid being blocked. The intermediaries—lawyers, agents, or simply resellers—rented the bot and filled out a spreadsheet with their clients’ information. The bot did the rest. As a result, the system became inaccessible to regular users.

Arrests were made in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Albacete, Alicante, Almería, Vizcaya, Burgos, Cádiz, Córdoba, Huelva (Marbella), Murcia, Tarragona, Tenerife, and Toledo. The four ringleaders of the organization were arrested in Barcelona and Valencia. During the raids, officers seized 206,950 euros in cash, as well as computers and documentation.

The investigation, coordinated by the UCRIF and led by Valencia’s Investigating Court No. 8, revealed that the network operated as a business. In fact, the intermediaries signed “bot rental” contracts and paid for the use of the bot. They knew they were damaging the system and harming vulnerable foreign nationals, according to police sources.

So now you know: if you’re looking to schedule an immigration appointment, don’t pay anyone. It’s a free service—you just have to request it on the National Police’s official website. Be wary of offers on Telegram or social media that promise you quick appointments in exchange for money: there may be a scam or a crime behind it. And if you see someone selling appointments, report them. Take action.

If you’re having trouble with your appointment or the process, message us on Telegram: https://t.me/cita_extranjeria