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Date Published: 21/06/2023

Fraudster arrested in Spain for scamming tourists with fake holiday lets

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The scam artist ‘rented out’ vacation properties on the Mediterranean that he didn’t actually own

Fraudster arrested in Spain for scamming tourists with fake holiday lets

Police in Spain have arrested a 44-year-old Spanish man for allegedly committing seven offences of fraud after he advertised tourist rental apartments along the Mediterranean coast which in reality were not actually his property.

Numerous unsatisfied customers filed complaints with police to say they had paid this man in advance for their holiday rental home and in turn were issued false rental contracts and were never able to access the properties.

Police say the man advertised on “a well-known holiday property advertisement app”, but when he had a potential victim interested the conversation would continue via WhatsApp, where both parties negotiated an advance payment of anywhere between 350 and 1,100 euros.

Once the payment was made through a payment app or via bank transfer and after signing a fictitious contract, the scammer had no further contact with the victims, who only realised the deception when they travelled to their chosen holiday destination to discover that the property was not available and it had all been a scam.

This happened in various vacation hotspots up and down Spain’s Mediterranean coast, including in Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Gandía, Benidorm, Málaga and Marbella.

The detainee, who has a number of previous convictions for similar offences, has been placed at the disposal of the Murcia Duty Court for the adoption of the corresponding precautionary measures.

Police have also taken the opportunity to release a series of recommendations for tourists when renting a holiday home online:

Compare the stated price with other prices in the area and be wary of ads where the rental price is disproportionately low
Check that the person who claims to be the landlord is really the owner of the flat or house, especially before making any kind of advance payment
Before paying anything, if possible, check on the spot that what is offered by the property owner corresponds to reality
Keep a copy of all messages received and sent, as well as the telephone number, just in case
Be wary when payment is requested to accounts of a different nationality than those of the person claiming to be the owner
Do not agree to have the keys sent by post or courier, but be sure to meet someone at the flat itself to hand them over
Once inside the flat, check the condition of the property
It is always advisable to keep all types of invoices, contracts and other documentation in case it is necessary to provide them in the event of a claim or complaint
Always demand a written contract

That’s why it’s always best to use the services of a reputable and established holiday rental company in Spain.

Image: Policía Nacional

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