Fake landlord scams woman into renting a house that didn’t exist
A man accused of tricking a woman into taking out loans for a high-end motorcycle and phone in exchange for a rental property that never existed is due to stand trial in Gran Canaria.
He is facing three years in prison after allegedly defrauding a woman who believed she was securing a long-term rental home. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, he convinced her to take out two loans to buy him an expensive motorcycle and a high-end mobile phone, claiming these would serve as advance payments for the property.
The case will be heard tomorrow (Wednesday) at the Provincial Court of Las Palmas. Prosecutors say the victim signed a loan of €10,680.64 for the motorcycle and another of €1,035.95 for the phone, both under the impression that these payments were tied to a five-year rental agreement. The woman agreed to monthly instalments of €201.06 initially, followed by 59 instalments of €177.62, while the second loan required 24 payments of €43.16.
The alleged scam began in February 2022, when the defendant, who has a criminal record, told the woman that financing the motorcycle would effectively “cover” the rental period. He later persuaded her to do the same for the phone. Prosecutors say that at no point did he intend to provide her with the promised accommodation.
The property was never handed over, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office is treating the case as ongoing fraud. In addition to a proposed three-year prison sentence, prosecutors are seeking compensation of €11,716.59 for the victim, plus legal interest.
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