Spanish authorities are probing a triple murder involving three elderly siblings, Amelia (67), Ángeles (74), and José Gutiérrez Ayuso (77), whose bodies were discovered in their Morata de Tajuña home southeast of Madrid, BBC reported. 

The suspect, Dilawar Hussain FC, a 42-year-old man of Pakistani origin, turned himself in and admitted to the murders.

The investigation reveals a link between the crime and an online romance scam that ensnared two of the sisters. Ángeles and Amelia had engaged in online relationships for years, sending a substantial sum of €400,000 (£340,000) to someone posing as “Edward,” allegedly a US military member, and a friend. The interactions occurred, at least in part, through Facebook.

Local reports suggest that the sisters’ financial resources were depleted due to these scams, leading them to seek money from neighbours, informal lenders, and even local authorities. The relationships drained their finances, prompting them to sell a property in Madrid.

Dilawar Hussain, who had previously lodged in the victims’ home, asserted that the sisters owed him a significant sum borrowed as a high-interest loan. This debt allegedly became the motive for the murders.

While José Gutiérrez Ayuso, who had a mental disability, was not involved in the financial transactions, his sisters’ insistence on sending money to supposed boyfriends had severe repercussions, including a previous attack by Hussain on Amelia.

The tragic incident sheds light on the risks associated with online scams and the devastating consequences that may follow, even extending to loss of life.