WARNING PROPERTY SCAM
Jan 22nd 2008, 6:46 pm
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1
WARNING PROPERTY SCAM
Just wanted to let others know of a scam that nearly affected one of my friends.
He placed his property for sale all over the internet and was contacted by guys with a french accent saying they represented investors and wanted to buy the property for the asking price providing they could declare a lower value in the deeds. Once this had been agreed they said that they could not travel to Spain for some time and asked the vendors to travel to Amsterdam to discuss the finer points of the transaction. This my friend did. When he got there all appeared to be going well until the lead man said that he need help in preparing the white money. He wanted a substantial sum in small demomination notes to swap for his 500 euro notes. Well the alarm bells finally rang when the guy said he would give me friend 20,000 euros to do this so he made he excuses and left. I too want to sell my fine country house in Murcia - any takers ? - and have since had a call as well from Paris on the same issue but it never went as far as the call.
There are a lot of desperate people trying to flog their homes at the moment and these people feed of that.
Jeff
He placed his property for sale all over the internet and was contacted by guys with a french accent saying they represented investors and wanted to buy the property for the asking price providing they could declare a lower value in the deeds. Once this had been agreed they said that they could not travel to Spain for some time and asked the vendors to travel to Amsterdam to discuss the finer points of the transaction. This my friend did. When he got there all appeared to be going well until the lead man said that he need help in preparing the white money. He wanted a substantial sum in small demomination notes to swap for his 500 euro notes. Well the alarm bells finally rang when the guy said he would give me friend 20,000 euros to do this so he made he excuses and left. I too want to sell my fine country house in Murcia - any takers ? - and have since had a call as well from Paris on the same issue but it never went as far as the call.
There are a lot of desperate people trying to flog their homes at the moment and these people feed of that.
Jeff
Jan 22nd 2008, 7:57 pm
#2
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Kent - Gandia - Kent
Posts: 2,002
Re: WARNING PROPERTY SCAM
Just wanted to let others know of a scam that nearly affected one of my friends.
He placed his property for sale all over the internet and was contacted by guys with a french accent saying they represented investors and wanted to buy the property for the asking price providing they could declare a lower value in the deeds. Once this had been agreed they said that they could not travel to Spain for some time and asked the vendors to travel to Amsterdam to discuss the finer points of the transaction. This my friend did. When he got there all appeared to be going well until the lead man said that he need help in preparing the white money. He wanted a substantial sum in small demomination notes to swap for his 500 euro notes. Well the alarm bells finally rang when the guy said he would give me friend 20,000 euros to do this so he made he excuses and left. I too want to sell my fine country house in Murcia - any takers ? - and have since had a call as well from Paris on the same issue but it never went as far as the call.
There are a lot of desperate people trying to flog their homes at the moment and these people feed of that.
Jeff
He placed his property for sale all over the internet and was contacted by guys with a french accent saying they represented investors and wanted to buy the property for the asking price providing they could declare a lower value in the deeds. Once this had been agreed they said that they could not travel to Spain for some time and asked the vendors to travel to Amsterdam to discuss the finer points of the transaction. This my friend did. When he got there all appeared to be going well until the lead man said that he need help in preparing the white money. He wanted a substantial sum in small demomination notes to swap for his 500 euro notes. Well the alarm bells finally rang when the guy said he would give me friend 20,000 euros to do this so he made he excuses and left. I too want to sell my fine country house in Murcia - any takers ? - and have since had a call as well from Paris on the same issue but it never went as far as the call.
There are a lot of desperate people trying to flog their homes at the moment and these people feed of that.
Jeff
surly the alarm bells should of rang when they were asked to go to Amsterdam ???
friends of mine had a similar contact when they were selling but couldnt understand why anyone would buy a house without seeing it first so gave them a wide berth :curse:
Jan 31st 2008, 4:31 pm
#3
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2007
Location: Rugby
Posts: 290
Re: WARNING PROPERTY SCAM
"I just don't believe it"
I'm getting more like him every day.
But seriously I cannot believe what folks will do either to sell or buy property in Spain.
The market is poor if you are selling but then again if you are buying in Spain or England you benefit from it being a buyers market - you sell low and buy low - sorry, if you don't you are not using common sense.
The friend/s, even going beyond the opening words of the "buyer", simply cannot be using their intelligence at all.
It is the same with the tales I have read of purchasers using the sellers Abogado. Apart from a very few instances in the UK it is bad enough to get your solicitor before a disciplinary committee and fined heavily, or worse - but most folk wouldn't think of doing it.
As far as "black money" is concerned, I don't care what anyone says to the .contrary, stay away from the transaction.
I visited the office of an estate agent in Oliva only a week or so ago and he said I didn't need to use an Abogado. Would I act upon this suggestion - NO - the same way that I will not buy without having a structural survey from a surveyor who does not have the disclaimer's Mitzyboy talks about elsewhere.
"For goodness sake"
I'm getting more like him every day.
But seriously I cannot believe what folks will do either to sell or buy property in Spain.
The market is poor if you are selling but then again if you are buying in Spain or England you benefit from it being a buyers market - you sell low and buy low - sorry, if you don't you are not using common sense.
The friend/s, even going beyond the opening words of the "buyer", simply cannot be using their intelligence at all.
It is the same with the tales I have read of purchasers using the sellers Abogado. Apart from a very few instances in the UK it is bad enough to get your solicitor before a disciplinary committee and fined heavily, or worse - but most folk wouldn't think of doing it.
As far as "black money" is concerned, I don't care what anyone says to the .contrary, stay away from the transaction.
I visited the office of an estate agent in Oliva only a week or so ago and he said I didn't need to use an Abogado. Would I act upon this suggestion - NO - the same way that I will not buy without having a structural survey from a surveyor who does not have the disclaimer's Mitzyboy talks about elsewhere.
"For goodness sake"
Jan 31st 2008, 4:52 pm
#4
In Estepona
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Estepona, Spain
Posts: 633
Re: WARNING PROPERTY SCAM
Sounds like 419 scammers to me. Advanced Fee Fraud. We will give you loads of money, just give us some first... I wouldnt travel abroad to sell my house though!
