‘Heir-brained’ con-artist caught on the Costa
Suspect pretended to be an illegitimate daughter of former king Juan Carlos or Franco
A PYRAMID scheme based in Guardamar del Segura, led by a ‘career con-artist’ who pretended she was an heir of the former king of Spain, managed to defraud more than 100 victims out of over €4 million, reported the Guardia Civil.
She and 10 other suspects have been arrested, and 10 bank accounts that were being used to launder money have been frozen as part of the investigation directed by a court in Torrevieja.
The gang searched on the internet for real estate which they then offered to potential investors as a bargain at about 20% of its market value, insisting that they had to put down a deposit quickly, without even visiting the property, or they would miss out.
If the victim agreed, the gang reserved the property with the estate agency or promoter that was really selling it, to give them time to collect the rest of the asking price from the buyer.
The supposed price of the homes was between €25,000 and €40,000, but as soon as the fraudsters received the
payment, they would disappear.
They used false or other people’s identities to commit various crimes, a Guardia Civil spokesman explained.
From their base of operations in Guardamar, a fake lawyer’s office which did not
do any real business, the gang operated in Madrid, Barcelona, Tarragona and Alicante provinces, as well as European countries including the Czech Republic and Switzerland.
The ringleader was a 50year-old Spanish woman who had been well-known to the authorities for more than two decades and served prison time for previous frauds.
The woman, who is disabled and needs to use a wheelchair, would pretend to be an illegitimate daughter of former king Juan Carlos or General Franco, winning appreciation and sympathy from people in order to take their money.
She told them she was going to inherit fortunes and she lived the high life, with more than 15 employees who carried out all sorts of personal services for her.
The principal gang members fitted security and camera systems wherever they stayed, even keeping dangerous guard dogs at some homes.
According to the Guardia Civil, in only eight months since the gang set up in Alicante province they laundered almost €1.5 million just by making bank transfers.
Part of the money was spent on expensive jewellery and other luxury goods, and one of the victims was a jeweller’s which they conned out of over €20,000.
Even people who were employed by the gang were not safe, as although they were paid €4,000 per month, some of them took out loans to buy these supposed bargain properties.