Barcelona duped after sending €1million to fraudster posing as Lewandowski’s lawyer

1 month ago 22

Poland international Robert Lewandowski swapped German giants Bayern Munich for Spanish powerhouse Barcelona
Fake agent who posed as Lewandowksi's agent 'conned' the 2009 European champions out of €1m in deal
However, Hansi Flick's side managed to recover the €1 million from the Cypriot bank, though no criminal investigation

Barcelona fell victim to a €1 million (£830,000) scam after being deceived by a fraudster posing as a representative of Robert Lewandowski’s agent.

Lewandowski, who joined the Catalan giants from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022 for an initial fee of €45 million (£37 million), has proven his value on the pitch, netting 71 goals in 106 appearances.

However, behind the scenes, the club faced a significant issue, as the fraudster exploited the high-profile transfer to swindle the Catalan giants.

Barcelona Duped after sending €1million Sent to Fraudster Posing as Lewandowski’s Lawyer

Following the transfer deal, Barcelona were contacted by someone claiming to be working with Robert Lewandowski’s agent, Pini Zahavi, and demanded €1 million be sent to a Cypriot bank account.

The fraudster, using the false identity of "Michael Hermanus Gerardus Demon," pretended to be Lewandowski’s lawyer and persistently pressured the club until they agreed to the payment.

Barcelona wired the funds to an account at Banc de Xipre, but the bank's compliance department flagged the transaction as suspicious.

According to an investigation by Cadena SER, the fraudster had no prior banking history with the institution and was asked to verify their identity. When Barcelona reached out to Zahavi, he denied any knowledge of the individual, leading the bank to freeze the funds.

'Mr. Demon' later escalated the pressure on Barcelona, threatening to report them to UEFA if they didn't pay and demanding an additional €250,000 (£207,000) for silence.

Barcelona managed to recoup the money

Fortunately, Barcelona managed to recover the €1 million from the Cypriot bank, though no criminal investigation has been launched as the club has not filed a formal complaint.

Barcelona confirmed to Cadena SER that they were the target of an attempted fraud, which has led them to strengthen their anti-fraud protocols.

The near miss involved significant sums, with Lewandowski set to earn €104 million (£86 million) over his four-year contract, 10 percent of which is owed to his representatives.