In the first half of this year, the PSP registered 807 reports of rental scams, which have already caused losses to victims of more than 500,000 euros, according to data released today.
In a report on scams, in which it also warns of the problem, the PSP says that between 2016 and July of this year, 4,367 reports of scams related to residential rentals were registered, namely temporary vacation homes.
Last year there were 1,214 complaints, the highest number, which resulted in property damage for the victims of more than 750,000 euros.
Police data shows that 244 complaints were registered in 2016, which rose to 347 the following year and 505 in 2018. In the following three years, the numbers were lower but soared last year to 1,214, a trend that continues this year as 807 complaints have already been recorded from January to July.
In a statement, the PSP explains that the most common type of scam is one in which tenants are tricked into paying the rent or a deposit in advance to guarantee the reservation of the property, which either doesn’t even exist or has already been rented out to multiple victims for the same period.
The most common cases stem from searches on the internet or in newspaper classifieds for vacation homes. The PSP says that the fraudulent scheme even includes photographs of the building and address, with victims losing the down payment when they realize that it is not possible to rent the property in question.
In anticipation of continued high demand for vacation home rentals, the PSP advises caution when searching, paying attention to advertisements with prices below market value, and confirming that there are no scams associated with a particular property.
The police also advise asking for additional data about the house, paying attention to details, checking that the bank’s data matches the data of the owner or advertising company, and canceling the transfer if fraud is suspected.
Stating that it is aware of the phenomenon, the PSP is calling on anyone who is a victim or knows of this type of crime to quickly report it to a police station.
