As the Renta 2025 tax campaign gets underway, Spain is tightening its grip on a quieter kind of fraud. Identity theft is the kind of fraud that plays out behind screens and only shows its teeth when the tax bill arrives.
The government has reactivated a support system to help people whose identities have been used to open online gambling accounts without their knowledge. In many cases, victims only discover the problem when they receive tax notifications for winnings they never touched.
Spain: Identity theft, a growing problem
Figures from 2025 reveal the scale of the issue:
- 8,675 identity theft complaints linked to online gambling
- A 12% increase compared to 2024
- 15,871 gambling accounts tied to these cases
- Around 4% of taxpayers receiving gambling-related tax data
Interestingly, the typical victim does not match the usual gambling profile. Authorities report that most affected individuals are women and people over 26, rather than younger male users.
Betting accounts behind most cases
In the majority of cases, sports betting is the main culprit, accounting for 85% of incidents. Meanwhile, online casinos are catching up fast, rising from 7% in 2024 to 18% in 2025.
Officials link this jump to a ruling by the Tribunal Supremo, which lifted restrictions on welcome bonuses. As a result, these promotions have once again become fertile ground for fraud.
Four common types of identity fraud
Authorities have identified four main patterns:
- Self-excluded players using someone else’s identity
- Minors registering with family members’ details
- Automated bots creating multiple accounts
- Fraud linked to bonuses and promotions
For example, more than 7,600 self-excluded individuals may have used alternative identities to keep gambling. In addition, around 8% of minors who fail registration checks later gain access using someone else’s details.
New tools to fight back
To counter this, authorities are promoting a new alert system. The Phishing Alert service sends an email notification if someone tries to register on a gambling platform using your personal data.
At the same time, the protocol, known as PACS, helps victims report fraud, receive guidance and resolve issues with the Agencia Tributaria before deadlines hit.
What to do if you are affected
With the tax campaign now live, officials are urging people to stay alert. If you receive unexpected tax information linked to gambling, act quickly.
In short, this is a digital-age trap: someone else plays the game, but your name ends up on the scoreboard. The sooner it’s flagged, the easier it is to set things straight.
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