However, imagine the surprise for the Spanish family who arrived to their holiday home to not only to be greeted by another family occupying their home, but one who had paid good money to be there, too! This is straight out of a nightmare but was the harsh reality for an unlucky family who had fallen victim to identity theft.
It seems that modern day scammers need only a smart car and a sharp suit to dupe unwilling proprty owners into parting with a lot more than just a one-month rent. It has been revealed that in Madrid in this case, organised gangs of theives are prowling holiday residences in search of an annual rent. Once these "professionals" are granted a rental agreement, they use personal details revealed in the rental contract to falsify identification papers and cards, then advertise the property as well below the asking price and make a sale.
As in the majority of countires, any sale must be authorised by a notarty but many notaries simply jot down the identification numbers presented on an identity card, rather than verify the credability of the actual document. This means that in this case in Madrid - by no means an isolated incident - the theives were able to make off with a substantial amount of profit for a few weeks work. Worth the gamble of being caught, you ask? Well, considering the property prices in Madrid versus a monthly rent, I'd say yes.
So what happened to the righful owner, I hear you cry?! Well, beleive it or not, a judge ruled that the "new" owners were not at fault for the fraud, and as the property had entered into the civil property registry, this is "untoucheable". The case was without resolve at the time of writing, but alarm bells ring for those home owners looking to invest in propertes which may not be occupied during long periods of a year.
Luxury Barcelona Real Estate Agency, Modus Vivendi have an outstanding selection of the best properties for sale in Barcelona as well as an ample portfolio of long term rentals in Barcelona.
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