A Spanish couple, Mariana S. And Marc H., are abandoning Movistar, their telecommunications provider of 25 years, after the company allegedly ignored fraud alerts and facilitated the purchase of three iPhone 17 Pros in their names. Despite notifying Movistar of suspected fraudulent activity, two of the devices were successfully delivered and the ordeal has left the couple feeling vulnerable and ignored.
The initial alert came on January 30, 2026, with a confirmation email for an iPhone 17 Pro valued at approximately 1,300 euros – a purchase neither Mariana nor Marc had authorized. They immediately contacted Movistar, and the first transaction was cancelled. But, this proved to be only a temporary reprieve.
On February 5th, a second iPhone 17 Pro was reportedly delivered to their office, despite the earlier warning. “We couldn’t stop it because we didn’t realize it until February 9th when we called Movistar… They told us they would pass us on to someone in logistics and follow up, but no one did,” Mariana S. Told Consumidor Global. Adding to the complexity, an associated theft insurance policy was similarly activated without their consent, prompting a surreal request for a satisfaction survey even as they attempted to resolve the fraudulent activity.
The situation escalated on February 24th, when a third iPhone 17 Pro was purchased in their names. This time, no confirmation email was received, and the couple discovered the purchase only through the Movistar app, along with another unauthorized insurance policy. According to Mariana, Movistar internally flagged the calls used to process the orders as “possible fraud,” yet still authorized the third device. “Movistar told me that someone from the fraud department would call me, but they never did,” she stated.
Samuel Parra, a cybersecurity lawyer, suggests the incident points to a potential data breach. “It’s likely the fraudsters have a copy of one of their IDs,” he explained to Consumidor Global, noting that stolen identification is frequently used for unauthorized purchases and loan applications. Parra recommends reporting the incident to both the police and the company’s data protection officer.
Mariana and Marc have filed a police report, but remain frustrated with Movistar’s handling of the situation. “I’ve been with Movistar for over 25 years and I’m switching companies because it doesn’t stop. They’re stalling us, we’re overwhelmed. It’s days and days of calls and complaints. It’s incredible that no one is following up,” Mariana said.
Consumidor Global contacted Movistar for comment but received no response prior to publication.
