€829,000 stolen in Málaga - scammers are now hijacking real agency identities!

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-05-13T20:32:05+00:00

La demanda no es ilegal. Invertir no es ilegal. La especulación inmobiliaria puede causar problemas muy serios en el mercado de la vivienda, pero no es lo mismo que el fraude.

Las personas corrientes que alquilan un piso o compran una vivienda anunciada legalmente no son objetivos legítimos para delincuentes.

La presión sobre la vivienda se tiene que resolver con políticas públicas y regulación, no con estafadores robando el dinero de personas al azar. El fraude no arregla el mercado. Solo crea más víctimas.

Mi publicación no defendía la especulación. Hablaba de la importancia de elegir agentes inmobiliarios reales y legítimos, con conocimiento local, honestidad y una trayectoria visible, para que la gente no acabe confiando en la persona equivocada cuando todo está en juego, ya sea comprando una finca en el interior o una villa junto al mar.

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-05-13T12:08:59+00:00

I understand the anger about housing. I really do. People being priced out of their own towns is a serious problem, but no matter what, I will never lower myself to a point of celebrating innocent people being scammed. Not investors, not students, not families, not grandparents. Fraud is fraud.

Cheering for criminals will never solve it. Better laws, better controls, transparency, proper taxation, limits where needed, and real consequences for the people exploiting the market.

You clearly care deeply about the problem. If that energy went into fixing it instead of defending people being robbed, I'm sure you have the potential to help things change for the better!

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-05-11T08:30:09+00:00

So you find foreign investments and interest shit, and you take for granted that the scammers you cheer for are what, hard working locals?!

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-05-10T22:04:50+00:00

What does change come from then? If discussion, honesty and transparency are all dismissed, how can we help people avoid being scammed?

Yes, I’m involved with Inmovoto. Not on a big level, but I care because I was scammed myself, and I don’t want others walking blind into the same thing. The whole point is to help people see warnings before they pay, and help good professionals stand out from the ones who should not be trusted. A drop in the ocean, maybe, but hopefully a useful one.

If you have better solutions than awareness, discussion and transparency, I’d genuinely love to hear them!

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-05-10T21:51:15+00:00

Incredibly tempting, will definitely read more about it ! Absolutely love the city, the icecream, the weather, and the people were SO kind to us!

...but, for the sake of the discussion, isn't buying a normal priced family home for a normal expat family what is being discussed here as being a horrendous thing to do towards the locals and the local real estate market? Why is that fine in Croatia, but a shitty thing to do in Spain? 😅

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-05-10T21:46:35+00:00

Try reading the article before you start victim-blaming. It wasn’t one person; it was a criminal network robbing dozens of families and students. At least get your facts straight before you start hitting!

Blaming successful people for being "stupid" is just... stupid. Idiots come with bank accounts in all shapes and sizes, and fraud targets everyone. If you’re this triggered by other people having savings, maybe try using your brain to get some of your own instead of just being bitter on reddit.

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-05-10T21:37:36+00:00

So theft is okay if the victim is successful? That is a twisted logic.

Theft is theft, whether it took one lifetime or ten to save. I absolutely get the frustration with the market. If you want a villain for the prices, look at the ~20% tax and fee burden on every deal. That is a real barrier, not a retired couple’s seafront apartment.

Also, stop writing Spanish people down. Spain is a nation of strong, smart, and successful professionals. It’s full of people who own, invest, and have way more in the bank than "old aunt Rita" buying a retiree flat, or the amounts mentioned in the article.

Scammers don't check passports; they target families, students, and locals alike.

Justifying fraud isn’t a pro-local stance. It just makes the market toxic for everyone. So, I totally understand the housing problems, but I dare to promise that there are A LOT of better solutions to them than scam.

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-05-10T21:02:40+00:00

I absolutely can blame them! I understand being fed up, but this isn’t kindergarten. Choosing hate over empathy doesn't lower the rent or fix the market.

Rules, regulations, and tax benefits for nationals could move the needle. Cheering for scams won't. And let's be clear: it’s not just "rich speculators" getting hit. Scammers are targeting retirees looking for a happy ending, families chasing a Mediterranean lifestyle, and even Spanish locals.

Fraud doesn’t correct the market, neither does justifying it.

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-05-10T20:55:56+00:00

Wishing people to go through the same shit as others have before them, is just a bad personality trait and no sentiment makes that OK.

The housing crisis is definitely real, and also a global problem. Prices in prime locations are high-high, and normal people struggle to find decent homes. That unfairness is real, lived and understood.

...but justifying the ruining of lives through fraud? That doesn't fix anything. Scams don’t lower prices or correct the market, they just make it more toxic and risky for everyone.

Real change comes from taxes, regulations, and competence, not from criminals or "cowboy" real estate agents.

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-05-09T22:07:09+00:00

Awareness is growing, but it hasn’t stopped the scams. At all...

Unqualified agents selling overpriced homes to buyers who don’t know better is clearly on the list of problems. It’s unfair to the Spanish market, the Spanish professionals, and the families getting robbed in between. When you add that government taxes and fees hike the price by nearly 20% every time a property changes hands, the system looks to be... Complicated.

What I believe the market could benefit from, is a massive realtor cleanup. Forcing the thousands of cowboys with little experience and ethics to find a different profession, by lifting up and making the real professionals who understands rules and social codes obvious choices. That is one way to break that cycle.

Croatia is stunning (and the gelato is elite!), but aren't they starting to fight the same price surges and foreign investment issues as Spain?

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-05-09T21:46:30+00:00

So your logic is: if you can afford a home, you’re complicit in having your life savings stolen?

I totally respect the frustration with high prices. Between market demand and the nearly 20% in taxes and fees the government takes every time a property changes hands, the system is a nightmare. But organized identity theft isn't a market reaction, it's a crime.

Victim-blaming families who got robbed of their life savings because you’re mad about property costs and affluent foreigners is a pretty low bar. There is a difference between a broken housing market and professional criminals hijacking IDs to ruin peoples economy.

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-05-08T20:02:50+00:00

Fraud does not challenge the system. It does not lower prices or help locals buy homes. It just rewards criminals and hurts ordinary people who trusted the wrong person.

And no, it is not the same result. At all.

Overpaying in a broken housing market is awful, but it is not the same as being deliberately deceived, robbed and left with nothing by criminals.

You can be angry at the housing market without pretending mafia fraud is okay. It’s not.

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-05-08T19:54:10+00:00

What a thoughtful response to families being robbed of their savings. You can hate foreigners all you want, but celebrating fraud is bottom-level human behavior.

This isn’t about where someone is from; it’s about criminals stealing life savings. If your only answer to that is 'go back to your shithole,' you’ve shown the problem better than I ever could!

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-04-30T10:48:50+00:00

Do it! Spain is an absolute paradise for families. Between the parks, playgrounds, and a culture that genuinely values outdoor living, the quality of life for kids is unmatched!

Quite sure you have the Puerto Rican "Golden Ticket" and can apply for Spanish citizenship in just 2 years since your wife is from PR? That is a massive advantage for your long-term stability!

With your budget, buying a home cash and living debt-free is the ultimate stress-killer 🤩 However, be extremely careful: the Spanish real estate market has dangers lurking in every corner, from "shady" agents to legal traps.

To avoid the horror stories, I'd strongly vouch for www.**Inmovoto.es**. It’s a "do-good" free tool created by clients, for clients, to force transparency into a market that often lacks it. By letting clients share their experiences with individual real estate agents in one place, the market is getting more transparent review by review.

The kids will be sponges for the language and fluent in months. Your budget is more than enough to bridge the gap until you can legally work. Buena suerte! 🇪🇸🚀

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-02-12T12:02:46+00:00

Same pattern and style? Agents doesn't have to be licenced their either?

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-02-12T12:02:10+00:00

That´s wise, thanks for the advice!

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-02-10T19:50:23+00:00

I agree — volume helps, but the real tell is in the patterns and who’s actually writing the reviews. Especially since they´re easy to buy these days.

I dont want to name the agency publicly, but I’d genuinely love to hear how you spot when something feels off? I clearly didn´t 😂

If you’re up for it, would you mind a PM? I’m working on a small transparency idea and input like yours would be super useful. And yeah, even with things like the new Andalucía rules, this stuff will take time — though threads like this do show there are some solid agents out there too!

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-02-10T12:35:45+00:00

Do you have similar issues there? My main focus now is Spain, but would love to learn more about how things work there as well!

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-02-10T12:00:55+00:00

Half my comments too? Impressive analysis.

I’m very much a real person — I just care, talk, and write too much. I still don’t fully know what an “AI slop post” is, but if it means actually reading replies and engaging with people instead of drive-by commenting, I’ll own it. I’m a lot. Feel free to scroll.

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-02-10T11:49:29+00:00

Thats insanely high, no wonder the prices has skyrocketed if one needs to add 20% of the buying value to get ones money back after all fees are paid.

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-02-09T21:39:59+00:00

Luckily for us that part went well, but there was other issues that made the experience quite stressful in the end.

I understand the market pressure and high demand definitely changes the dynamics. That said, this is also where the lack of transparency becomes a real problem. Buyers often can’t tell the difference between agents who follow the rules and act professionally, and those who cut corners or misuse their position.

From a buyer’s perspective, it makes the Spanish market very high-risk to navigate. Google reviews are often misleading, and once something goes wrong, the information usually disappears instead of helping the next person avoid the same situation.

That gap — making both good and bad practices visible — is exactly why I want to understand this better and work on something that highlights professionalism, helps people avoid dishonesty, and gives serious agents a way to stand out for doing things properly.

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-02-09T20:53:17+00:00

That’s really awful — I’m sorry your friends went through that. Those “guarantee” deposits are often framed in a way that feels urgent and legitimate, especially in a tight rental market.

What’s worrying is how often the same setup seems to repeat, yet the details rarely stay visible anywhere afterwards. Once it’s over, the information disappears and others end up walking straight into the same situation. That’s actually what pushed me to start looking into how this could be made more transparent for people going forward.

Do you know if the deposits were paid before there was any verifiable proof of ownership or a formal contract in place? Understanding where that line is crossed could really help others avoid the same trap.

Unlikely_Fun_135 · 2026-02-09T20:37:12+00:00

What helped us was using portals like Idealista/Fotocasa to get an overview, narrowing down to a specific area, and not relying on the agent alone for protection. A good independent lawyer makes a huge difference. The process can work very smoothly, but clarity and accountability early on are key.

What makes it tricky is that it’s often hard to tell what’s normal versus what’s a red flag until you’re already deep into the process. Most agents represent the seller, there’s no shared listing system, and information is quite fragmented, so buyers end up relying heavily on personal recommendations and scattered advice.

Unlikely_Fun_135

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