The National Police have arrested five people in Lleida (Catalonia) suspected of being part of a gang that has been renting out, in a fraudulent manner, holiday accommodation via the internet which either didn’t exist or wasn’t available. The Balearics is one of the regions affected.
The apartments on offer were advertised on specialist websites, with contact telephone numbers or an email address. The National Police have acted following more than forty complaints which have been recorded in different parts of Spain, especially in principal holiday destinations - the Balearics, Alicante, Valencia, Las Palmas, among others.
The fraud involved interested clients making deposits for the total rental amount. The five who have been arrested benefited by over 46,000 euros, with an average of 900 euros having been paid per fraudulent rental. When the clients arrived, they found a private property that was nothing to do with tourism or they found nothing, as the apartment didn’t exist.
Four of the five detained are Spanish and the fifth is Columbian. They have been charged with suspected fraud, occasioning the theft of 46,722 euros. The investigation remains open while the National Police continue to fully clarify what has happened and to locate any victims of the fraud who have been affected.