Felipe VI in a dark suit next to red exclamation marks.

Concern at Palacio de la Zarzuela after urgent news about King Felipe

The Zarzuela Palace raises the alarm after unexpected information about King Felipe comes to light

All alarms have gone off at Palacio de la Zarzuela after breaking news about King Felipe came to light. The information refers to how a fake king has scammed thousands of people by encouraging them to invest all their money. The National Cybersecurity Institute has issued a warning to prevent more victims from joining the thousands who have already fallen for the scam.

Artificial intelligence has refined better ways to deceive, with cybercriminals taking advantage of the opportunity. This time, they have created a fake news story where a fake King Felipe encourages people to invest in a fraudulent website.

Felipe VI looks up in a crowded environment.
They use King Felipe's image to scam thousands of citizens | Europa Press

Palacio de la Zarzuela on alert after breaking news about King Felipe

Palacio de la Zarzuela has received a warning that directly affects King Felipe. Recently, numerous scams have been taking place with very well-known people as the main targets. From actors to singers, now members of the Spanish royal family, like Felipe, have had their identities stolen.

The National Cybersecurity Institute has alerted Palacio de la Zarzuela about a scam that uses the image of King Felipe. These scams have mainly spread through social media and fraudulent websites that pretend to be official media outlets. This time, they have created a fake news story from a well-known outlet where a fake King Felipe encourages citizens to invest.

Felipe VI on a podium speaking at an event called
A fake King Felipe encourages citizens to invest their savings | Europa Press

The need to get money quickly and the trust inspired by a familiar face like the king's have caused thousands of citizens to fall for the scam. "Spanish citizens can get profits quickly," claims the fake Felipe. The scam spreads through social media and also through video games, thus expanding its reach.

The methodology is simple: taking advantage of Felipe's prestige, the victim is asked to deposit €250 (250 euros) in exchange for an immediate €2,000 (2,000 euros). Obviously, this is a scam, and the criminals not only keep the money but also the banking information. In addition, they can even install viruses on the devices.

Palacio de la Zarzuela warns about the fake King Felipe

This isn't the first time cybercriminals have used King Felipe's image to deceive their victims. The use of artificial intelligence has perfected the methods, and some time ago they manipulated the king's Christmas speech to promote financial scams.

In these videos, Felipe is shown talking about investment opportunities that promise high returns with a minimal initial investment. The National Securities Market Commission has taken action against these practices, opening sanctioning proceedings against platforms like Twitter for allowing their dissemination.

Not only the king has been a victim of these impersonations; Princess Leonor has also been used as bait in scams, especially on TikTok. Scammers have created fake profiles that, using artificial intelligence, pretend to be the princess offering financial aid in exchange for a "small fee."

Palacio de la Zarzuela hasn't made a direct statement about this new scam that uses King Felipe's image. However, other channels like the National Cybersecurity Institute have issued warnings about it.

The public is urged not to fall for the scam and to take extreme precautions. Likewise, if they have been scammed, it is recommended to contact their bank to stop any movement in the checking account. In most cases, the money is unrecoverable, so victims end up losing part of their savings.