Alex Trelinski
A 29-year-old conman has been arrested for offering non-existent holiday lets in a popular tourist area of Spain.
The fraudster, who is wanted for similar crimes in other parts of the country, used the internet to advertise the apartments located in Murcia’s La Manga area on the Mar Menor.
Customers from around Spain made bank transfers of €400 as a deposit to secure the booking.
They then arrived for their holiday only to discover that the property did not exist or was occupied by its legitimate owners who were not renting it out.
Disappointed visitors filed complaints with the Guardia Civil who launched an operation called ‘Rentalmanga’ to track down the scammer.
Investigations led to the Spaniard’s arrest and he has been charged with seven counts of fraud.
