An Ibiza resident has lost €100 after allegedly being deceived by an online advertisement offering a Toyota Corolla for €2,000. The case, which began with a reservation payment made through Bizum in December 2025, has now reached the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC), which has decided that a court in Amposta, Tarragona, should investigate the alleged fraud.

The dispute between the courts had delayed the investigation for several months, with judicial authorities in Barcelona and Amposta initially disagreeing over which jurisdiction was responsible.

In a decision dated 24 July 2026, the TSJC assigned the case to Court No. 1 in Amposta, following evidence that the €100 reservation payment had reached a bank account registered in the name of the person identified as the seller.

A Toyota Corolla Advertised for €2,000 on Milanuncios

The incident began on 20 December 2025, when the Ibiza resident came across an advertisement on the online classifieds platform Milanuncios offering a second-hand Toyota Corolla for €2,000.

After contacting the seller by telephone, the buyer was reportedly told that the man was called Carlos Jesús and lived in Amposta.

To reserve the vehicle, the prospective buyer transferred €100 through Bizum as an advance payment.

With the reservation arranged, the Ibiza resident travelled to Barcelona intending to complete the purchase. He informed the seller of his journey, but the situation changed when the man allegedly stopped answering his calls and messages.

The buyer was left without the vehicle and without the €100 deposit.

The Complaint Led to a Dispute Between Two Courts

On 22 December 2025, the affected buyer reported the incident to the police in Barcelona.

The alleged conduct was initially classified provisionally as a minor fraud offence under Article 248 of Spain's Criminal Code.

The complaint was first assigned to a court in Barcelona. However, that court subsequently declined jurisdiction in favour of the courts in Amposta, reasoning that the person identified as the seller was domiciled there.

The Amposta court initially rejected the transfer through an order dated 26 January 2026.

Its reasoning centred on the lack of sufficient evidence at that stage that the money had actually reached a bank account belonging to the suspected individual.

This disagreement between the two judicial offices left the question of jurisdiction unresolved for several months.

The Bizum Payment Led Investigators to an Account in Amposta

Following a request from the Public Prosecutor, further checks were carried out to establish where the €100 payment had been received.

The investigation confirmed that the money transferred through Bizum had entered an account with ING Bank N.V. registered in the name of Carlos Jesús, the individual identified as the seller and reportedly domiciled in Amposta.

This information became central to resolving the jurisdictional dispute.

The matter was subsequently referred to the High Court of Justice of Catalonia, which is responsible for resolving certain jurisdictional conflicts between courts located in different provinces within Catalonia.

The Catalan High Court Assigns the Case to Amposta

On 24 July 2026, the Civil and Criminal Chamber of the TSJC resolved the dispute through Auto 84/2026, assigning responsibility for the investigation to Court No. 1 in Amposta.

The court applied the legal principle known as ubiquity, which allows an alleged offence to be considered committed in any location where one of its constituent elements took place.

In this case, the receipt of the €100 payment into a bank account in Amposta was a relevant factor in determining jurisdiction.

The court also considered that the available elements of the alleged offence did not establish a sufficient connection with Barcelona to justify keeping the investigation there.

The ruling resolves which court should handle the proceedings, but it does not establish that the suspected individual committed fraud. The investigation remains subject to the examination of evidence and the applicable judicial process.

The Investigation Can Now Continue in Amposta

The decision removes the jurisdictional obstacle that had prevented the investigation from progressing between the two courts.

Court No. 1 in Amposta will now be responsible for continuing the proceedings and examining the circumstances surrounding the advertised vehicle, the reservation payment and the identity of the person who received the money.

The case serves as a reminder of the risks associated with paying deposits for second-hand vehicles advertised online, particularly when buyers have not independently verified the seller, the vehicle and the arrangements for completing the transaction.