'Fake long-term rental' network kingpin arrested for allegedly conning people out of more than 25,000 euros in Spain

The cooperation between National Police teams in different towns and cities across Spain has led to the arrest of the kingpin of a 'fake rental' network that allegedly defrauded victims out of more than 25,000 euros. The arrest was carried out by officers from National Police in Fuengirola in the south of Madrid.

According to the force. The suspect would deceive his victims by offering them to rent tourist properties, organising visits after copying the keys, signing contracts and charging in advance.

Thanks to police collaboration within 'Operation Buganvilla', the security forces managed to analyse isolated complaints from different provinces and towns, such as Fuengirola, Marbella and Madrid. They discovered that the complaints concerned the same cases and modus operandi. Whoever had scammed the victims had defrauded them of more than 25,000 euros.

Although the suspect used a simple technique, it proved to be effective. In order to market the tourist properties, he would gain legal access, take photos and copy the keys. He would then publish ads on rental platforms and advertise the flats as available for long-term rental.

Once hooked, the victims would visit the property and sign a contract. The suspect would then ask them to pay the first month's rent and a deposit. On the entry date, the victims would find that the property was occupied by tourists. That is when they would file a complaint.

Studying each report, the police discovered a pattern: same dates, identical clauses and contact numbers leading to the same individual. This allowed them to meticulously reconstruct the crime.

They were also able to identify other possible collaborators, who were the holders of the accounts into which the monthly payments were made. They would then either transfer the money to a third party or withdraw it in order to make tracing difficult.

The investigation remains open and the police do not rule out further fraud cases and arrests.