Staff Reporter
THE Costa del Sol has worked hard to shake off its image as a hotspot for criminals and scammers.
But the fact is there are still hundreds operating on the coast – or nearby – and we are the only English newspaper dedicated to investigating them.
We have exposed scores of scammers down the years for our readers, but sad to say they just keep on coming.
Our latest investigative story is the latest in a long line about expats taking advantage of the unregulated holiday rental market…this time pocketing cash that should have gone to the owner.
And outrageously Juliette De Courcy Withey had previously complained about another expat pair who had perpetrated a very similar fraud – and at the very same palace she is alleged to have illegally let out herself.
What comes around, comes around, as they say. So it was no surprise that The Olive Press had actually first exposed the so-called Rainbow Villas scam way back in 2015.
In that depressing case, later followed up in the UK press, we revealed how Mark and Michelle Stafford were accused of using the Benahavis villa to defraud up to 100 unsuspecting Brits.
There are so many conmen still out there and, as the holiday season is about to bounce back in a massive way, you need to keep your eyes peeled.
From those targeting holidaymakers with fake websites where properties don’t actually exist, to
wedding planners who take the cash and run away leaving behind a trail of distraught brides and grooms. It seems scammers will stop at nothing to strip hard working tourists, landlords and expats of their hard-earned cash.
Unfortunately for them, our NCTJ-trained investigative team will stop at nothing to expose their shady dealings.
We have been doing this for 17 years and will continue to do so for many years to come. And that’s a promise!
