According to El Periódico, Endesa AI detected alleged power fraud at 16 restaurants
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According to El Periódico, 16 Barcelona restaurants hired influencers to promote their venues, and videos showing the locations full of customers helped Endesa technicians investigate electricity consumption considered inconsistent with the establishments’ size and expected activity. The AI tool cross-referenced that information and led to inspections that, weeks later, documented alleged illegal connections to the public-lighting network.
Inspection and billing for the stolen electricity are handled by e-distribución, Endesa’s grid subsidiary, rather than the retailer that issues the bills. According to an Endesa press release cited by Xataka, the company detected 72,700 cases of fraud in 2025; the company also says it uses machine learning and deep learning to find anomalies, including connections associated with marijuana cultivation. What was new in this case was using Instagram images as an alert signal.
Why it matters · editorial interpretation
The case suggests that public signals of commercial activity, such as Instagram images, can complement consumption analysis to prioritize inspections—although identifying fraud still depends on subsequent checks. The separation between the distributor that investigates and the retailer that bills also clarifies the responsibilities in the process.