Yzabelle Bostyn
EXPAT holiday home owners have called in police after losing more than €60,000 to an alleged Costa del Sol con artist.
Fabricio Anton is accused of pocketing the earnings from multiple holiday lets after being hired to manage them.
The charming Argentinian is said to have targeted ‘vulnerable’ women renting west of Estepona.
At least seven victims based in Manilva have come forward to the Olive Press, claiming to have lost a total of €61,900.
They said they were taken in by Anton, aka Fabri, who sold himself as an ‘honest, family man’ and was working freelance for a string of property management companies in the area.
Photo: The Olive Press
Julie and Jon Laker, owners of Fairydust, claim they have lost €47,000 to the alleged scammer when they were forced to pay back various victims.
“As soon as we became suspicious of his working practices, we acted immediately, terminating use of his services and removing all access,” explained Julie.
“We notified all our clients, other companies and the police.”
She added: “Until a full police investigation is completed, no one can be sure when he started scamming people.”
Natali Nikitina, a 45-year-old croupier based in London, reported losses of €5,000 in just four months after Fabri failed to transfer the payments of guests staying in her holiday home in Casares.
Photo: The Olive Press
At first, everything went well and she agreed to pay him €700 per year, plus 20% of each rental booking.
However, she soon realised something was amiss when the rental calendar was showing occupancy but no money was sent to her.
When she confronted him, Fabri told her ‘his accountant’ had ‘run off with the money’.
A few weeks later, she checked a security camera installed at her flat and to her horror realised there were men staying there despite no booking on the calendar.
Photo: Trip Advisor
This time, Fabri claimed it was a ‘last minute’ booking, insisting he was an ‘honest, family man.’
Not believing him she flew in from the UK to find the group of men still staying in the property.
While ‘afraid’ she bravely entered and removed their belongings, before changing the locks.
Another British owner Leigh-Anne Bingley, who lives in Devon, told the Olive Press she has lost €2,400 in rentals from her Duquesa flat.
Photo: Trip Advisor
Although Leigh-Anne had intended to use her property as a holiday let, Fabri rented it as a family home, giving the tenants a ‘fake contract’.
She grew suspicious when the tenants overstayed their welcome and refused to leave, stating they had a rental agreement.
“I was in a total state,” she explained, “Not only had he not paid me but he was scamming the renters too.”
She eventually managed to take their stuff out and had the locks changed.
“Fabri needs to be stopped and exposed,” she insisted this week.
Loli, a 55-year-old Spaniard, claims she lost over €2,000 at her Sotogrande apartment.
“Fabri likes to target older, foreign women because he thinks they won’t know what to do,” she told the Olive Press.
“He just loves money, he thinks all the money he sees is his,” Loli said.
While she along with the other victims have reported Fabri to the police in Manilva, so far nothing has been done.
“What annoys me the most is the lack of action from the police, it’s a total injustice. But we are warriors, I will feel better when I know he can’t do it to anyone else.”
Photo: The Olive Press
The Olive Press arranged to meet Anton for comment but he failed to turn up at a meeting, saying his lawyer had ‘advised him not to speak’.
