Authorities in Alicante reported the arrest of a man in Teulada on charges tied to a substantial real estate fraud scheme. The suspect allegedly controlled a fraudulent listing portal that operated across the Canary Islands, enabling him to extract about 90,000 euros from victims. Forensic sources confirmed to this newspaper that the man had previously been detained in Madrid last January for similar fraud via the same portal. Despite the initial arrest, investigations indicate he persisted in defrauding others, keeping the site active and drawing more than 90,000 euros from additional victims in Tenerife. The National Police’s UDEF traced the suspect’s location through mobile geolocation data, situating him in Alicante province after operations that began in Calp. The case has moved through the Dénia court system, which ordered the detainee to prison while the legal proceedings continue. The case has visible ties to San Cristóbal de La Laguna.
During his court appearance, the detained man, supported by a Benidorm-based attorney, invoked his right not to testify, offering only a denial and claiming the matter stemmed from a misunderstanding requiring clarification. Prosecutors argued that there was a risk of reoffending, noting the defendant’s prior arrest earlier in the year for similar offenses.
The fraud linked to the current arrest appears to have occurred since January, with the suspect already under investigation for two years due to the ongoing case. The accused operated a real estate portal that offered an unusually broad selection of apartments for rent or purchase, concentrating on the municipalities of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and Candelaria. In many instances, after potential buyers or renters engaged with a listing, conversations shifted toward payment, and funds were deposited into bank accounts controlled by the suspect. The defendant allegedly used a forged ID to evade capture and even adopted data from other victims to create bank accounts used for payments related to properties that did not belong to the payer. One individual whose identity was misused by the suspect was arrested as well; a resident of Monóvar who was approached in February with a driver job offer but did not disclose his identity afterwards.
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Between January 26 and August 10 of the current year, the suspect is believed to have defrauded at least 36 people, directing funds into several bank accounts in amounts ranging from 850 to 6,000 euros under fraudulent rental agreements. Police records show the defendant’s movements included Alicante’s province, with mobile phone data confirming location in Calp. Investigators noted he employed cards tied to the questioned accounts to rent luxury vehicles and purchase jewelry across various establishments in the Alicante area. The investigation suggests the suspect’s network included the hiring of accomplices who assisted in the scheme by acting as renters or co-conspirators in a broader operation.
The arrest reportedly occurred while the individual was observed walking on a Teulada street with two other people, signaling coordinated activity in a public space as officers intervened.