Alex Trelinski
A holiday rental home scammer pocketed deposits for Mar Menor apartments that were not available to let.
The man has been arrested by the Guardia Civil in San Javier.
He’s been accused of at least 12 frauds and has four court warrants out against him for similar crimes in the Murcia region.
The Guardia received several complaints from scammed victims during the summer.
The con was straight-forward as the fraudster posted online and social media holiday rental ads using photos of genuine properties in the Mar Menor area.
A big incentive to lure in customers was the low cost and a holiday stay could be reserved for a €500 deposit.
The conman even arranged an instalment payment plan for the fraudulent deposit.
When the tenants and their families when to meet him on the first day of their holiday to pick up the keys, the scammer failed to appear.
The Guardia Civil tracked him down by locating his online IP address.
He owned multiple mobile phones and had opened an array of bank accounts.
His victims came from as far away as Cuenca and Madrid, in addition to local ones in Cartagena, Fuente Alamo, Murcia, and San Javier.
