In the period this year to August, 48 people have been ripped off by renting a house or apartment online, only to find that it does not exist.
Most cases have been in the Algarve with the internet scammers making off with between €200 and €2,000 per victim, according to the police who have been logging a disturbing number of complaints.
The GNR revealed that up to August 5th this year there have been 48 complaints from people who have been tucked up by the canny crooks.
Half of these incidents occurred in July, with a further six cases recorded in the first few days of August.
The fraudsters publish online property rental ads at mouthwateringly low prices. Many ads have photographs of the supposed rental properties which are lifted from estate agents’ websites.
The victims are looking for property to rent for their summer holidays and pay deposits to secure their dream vacation villa or apartment, often finding out they have been duped only when trying to contact the ‘owner’ for the keys or trying to find an address that does not exist.
In most cases, according to the GNR, "the deposited amount is around €200, but there are cases where this figure came close to €2,000 as victims paid the entire amount up front."
The GNR said, "it has been possible to identify several suspects through their bank account numbers."
In the last five years, 2014 saw the most complaints made to the police, a total of 87.
In 2011, the GNR recorded 45 such crimes, 74 in 2012 and in 2013 there were 67.
Many of these crimes will never be reported as the victims realise that the thieves are up and gone while families have to make swift arrangements to find somewhere else to holiday.
These scams are easy to operate but not good for the region’s image. There is little the GNR can do apart from to catch the crooks but reports of successful prosecutions are far and few between.
The government’s Alojamento Local registration scheme for rental properties, should it gain wider acceptance from owners, will serve to reassure holiday makers that the property they are booking actually exists. Until then, these crimes will continue and are particularly cruel.
