The Guardia Civil arrested three people on September 25th and 26th on suspicion of committing fraud amounting to €14,300 by posting an online advertisement for the rental of a residential property in Fuerteventura.
They have explained that the 'Equipo@' unit on the island initiated an investigation as part of Operation Telibe following a complaint filed in August.
The victim reported that through an online classifieds portal, they had come across an advertisement for the rental of a property located in Puerto del Rosario. Intrigued by the property's central location and the attractive monthly rent of €600, the victim contacted the supposed owner, who not only offered to rent him the property but also offered an option to buy it.
Initially, for the rental deposit and four months' rent in advance (they agreed on a final price of €500 per month), the victim was asked to make various transfers for rent, contract fees, notary expenses, property repairs, and more.
The victim then visited the property and agreed on an option to buy it, ultimately transferring a total of €14,330 to various accounts belonging to the suspects.
However, the rental agreement or purchase was never formally executed, and the victim never moved in. As time passed, new excuses arose to request more money until the victim realized he had been involved in a scam.
The Guardia Civil conducted an investigation to trace the origin of the rental advertisement, which was found to have been posted by one of the suspects who had received the fraudulent payments. It was then discovered that the property did not belong to any of them and was not registered in any of their names, leading to their arrest.
They are now awaiting trial when the victim will hopefully get his money back.
