Spanish giants Barcelona fell prey to a sophisticated scam during the 2022 signing of Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, losing €1 million (£830,000) to a fraudster

According to Cadena SER, the scammer impersonated Lewandowski’s agent, Pini Zahavi, sending an email requesting a €1 million agent’s commission. Barcelona paid the fee into a Bank of Cyprus account, which raised suspicions due to its recent opening.

The scammer demanded two additional transfers of €250,000 (£208,000) and pressured Barcelona to unfreeze the payment, threatening to report them to FIFA.

Fortunately, the bank flagged the transaction, and the account was closed. Barcelona recovered the funds and acknowledged the deception to Cadena SER.

Zahavi confirmed that Barcelona contacted him a month after the transfer, inquiring about the payment. He denied sending the email or knowing the lawyer involved.

Lewandowski, signed from Bayern Munich for €45 million (£37 million), has since proven invaluable, scoring 71 goals in 106 matches for Barcelona.