(openPR) - International scammers are targeting Spanish property residents who have registered their properties for sale on the internet
According to a press release in a Spanish news paper. A concerned reader almost became a victim to the fraudsters.
The lady in question was telephoned by a man in Paris who claimed to be part of a business group investing in property abroad . He was particularly interested in Costa Blanca property. The Fraudster said he had seen her house advertised on the internet and thought it was a good property investment. He said that his partners in Barcelona would act as his representatives and take care of all transactions.
The reader contacted the 'partners' in Barcelona and was told they were willing to place 30,000 euros into her bank account of which 20,000 would be a deposit on her Costa Blanca property and 10,000 would be their commission, payable once the house purchase was completed. Dubious of such good luck, the reader investigated the scheme and found it to be an elaborate scam.
The day after the draft is paid into a victim’s account, the third party contacts them saying he needs his commission straight away and asks for it to be sent via Western Union or a Money gram. Once the money is sent, the game is over. After about a week the bank will bounce the cheque and reclaim the 30,000 euros, but by that time the fraudsters have taken their commission.
Fraud squads around the world have been alerted to the scam to give a fake banker’s draft or cheque in return for a commission payment. Property abroad experts have warned sellers to use only bona fide estate agents when putting their property abroad on the market. They added that although the internet is a very powerful instrument for buying and selling property abroad, all precautions must be taken, especially when money transactions are involved.
In order to avoid future scams and protect seller’s interests the team at www.d2rworldwide.com would be happy to filter out time wasters and fraudsters by allocating a page on our website exclusively for the seller of any property abroad with no commission payable on the sale. If you've had a similar experience please contact www.d2rworldwide.com and share your experience with the world.
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