Holiday rental scam firm based in Spain shut down

 A HOLIDAY RENTAL COMPANY believed to be responsible for ripping off at least 150 people for an estimated €45,000 has been shut down.

The firm would allegedly use photos of apartments they found on the internet, and publish them on different platforms online, advertising them as their own.

In some cases they would also use other people’s identities to register a phone number in order to convince potential victims their product was real. They would then ask for half of the rent up front – ranging from €200 to €900- and send contracts often using the names of deceased people to give a “legal feel” to their operations.

Four people have been arrested in Benidorm over fraud, being part of a criminal organisation and identity theft charges but the firm is believed to have advertised fake apartments all over Spain.

According to police, many of the victims found out they had been ripped off once they had arrived at their destination, and were unable to contact the agency, or access their supposed property.