Policia Nacional last week detained a 22-year-old man, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with the initials KJVO, alleged to be perpetrator of four scams related to holiday rental homes. The man apparently has 35 prior records for similar crimes committed on Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, La Palma and El Hierro.
The individual rented real estate for small periods of time and once in possession of the keys he sub-leased them to third parties for a long term contract, managing to collect up to €3,900 in advance payments.
The investigation began after a complaint from three injured parties, the proprietor and tenants of a vacation rental property located in the capital of Gran Canaria, who had been scammed by an individual who passed himself off as the owner.
The investigators determined that the 22-year-old had rented the aforementioned property from the real owner then taken pictures of the interior and advertised it “for rent” by posing as the person responsible for it, and then subletting to third parties for a prolonged stay, from whom he collected considerable sums of money in advance.
In addition, agents uncovered two more cases similar to this one, perpetrated by the same individual with homes located in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Maspalomas, where he managed to collect at least €3,900 from one of his victims.
Investigators were able to verify that the same suspect already has 35 arrests mainly for fraud committed in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Telde, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Tias, Costa Teguise, Puerto de la Cruz, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de La Palma and Valverde.
The individual was located and detained in a central street in the capital of Gran Canaria, as the alleged perpetrator of four scams, a theft and a crime against traffic safety, since at the time of his arrest he was driving a vehicle without the corresponding permission. In the security search, €1,250 was recovered.
With a mandatory court order, the police conducted a home search, at a pension in Las Palmas, where a large amount of personal and banking documentation was found, as well as various private lease contracts in which he was listed as a landlord.
The investigation remains open until other criminal acts of a similar nature, in which the detainee is suspected to have been involved, are confirmed.
Finally, when the corresponding police report was issued, the detainee was placed at the disposal of the competent Judicial Authority, who ordered his provisional imprisonment.