Barcelona fell victim to a scam, sending €1 million (£830,000) to a fraudster posing as someone affiliated with Robert Lewandowski’s agent. The club had signed Lewandowski from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022 for an initial fee of €45 million (£37 million). Since then, he has scored an impressive 71 goals in 106 appearances, solidifying his role as a key player.
However, following the transfer, a con artist contacted Barcelona claiming to represent Lewandowski’s agent, Pini Zahavi, and requested the €1 million be transferred to a Cypriot bank account. This person, using the alias Michael Hermanus Gerardus Demon and pretending to be Lewandowski’s lawyer, persistently pressured the club for the payment.
Barcelona eventually complied and sent the funds to Banc de Xipre. However, the bank flagged the transaction as suspicious, preventing the release of the money. An investigation by Cadena SER uncovered that the fraudster lacked any prior banking history with the institution and was required to verify their identity. When Barcelona reached out to Zahavi, he confirmed he had no knowledge of the fraudster, leading the bank to freeze the account.
In a desperate attempt to extort further payments, “Mr. Demon” threatened to involve UEFA unless Barcelona complied and also demanded an additional €250,000 (£207,000) for silence. Fortunately, Barcelona managed to recover their funds from the Cypriot bank. However, the Catalan police have yet to launch a criminal investigation, as the club has not filed a formal complaint.
Barcelona acknowledged the incident as an attempted fraud and stated that it has prompted them to strengthen their anti-fraud measures. This near-miss involved substantial amounts, especially considering Lewandowski’s contract, which could see him earn €104 million (£86 million) over four years, with 10% of that (£10.4 million) going to his representatives.
This season, Lewandowski has made his mark with 12 goals and two assists in 11 matches, helping Barcelona maintain a top position in La Liga, three points ahead of rivals Real Madrid. However, he is currently an injury concern after sustaining a knock in Poland’s recent 3-3 draw against Croatia.
