They warn of a rental scam in Palma with three-bedroom apartments for 700 euros

PalmaA spacious house, newly renovated, furnished and decorated, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, and an equipped kitchen for about 700 euros per month. This is the type of offer that, according to the Association of Consumers and Users of the Balearic Islands (Consubal), is proliferating on social networks and digital platforms in Palma and other municipalities of the Islands and which presents "clear signs of fraud".

The entity has alerted to the appearance of these advertisements and considers that such advantageous conditions are "hardly credible" in the current Balearic real estate market. Therefore, it asks consumers to exercise extreme caution regarding rentals with prices well below the usual ones.

The alert comes after the Congress of Deputies rejected the validation of two decree-laws regarding housing. Consubal does not establish any direct relationship between both events, but considers that the extreme difficulty in accessing housing may be being exploited by people trying to obtain benefits through deception.

An attractive apartment that does not exist

According to the association, behind this type of advertisement there may be alleged owners who do not exist, homes that are not actually available, or photographs copied from other real estate portals.

The mechanism of the alleged scam is simple: an especially attractive advertisement is published, with a home in good condition and a price much lower than usual, to gain the interest of the maximum possible number of people.

When someone willing to rent it appears, the alleged landlord may ask for a deposit, a reservation fee, or a monthly payment in advance. According to Consubal, excuses are usually made to prevent the interested person from visiting the property beforehand.

Once the payment has been made, the alleged owner disappears and the consumer is left without the money and without a home.

"It is outrageous that, in a community where thousands of people have enormous difficulties finding a rental they can afford, there are those who intend to take advantage of this need to scam them," the association lamented. Faced with this situation, Consubal demands that digital platforms and social networks strengthen the verification mechanisms for real estate advertisements and quickly remove fraudulent offers.

The entity also demands that more effective channels be enabled to report possible scams and calls for greater vigilance by the competent administrations, as well as coordinated action to combat these practices.

How to detect a possible fraud

Consubal recommends being especially wary of rental advertisements with prices much lower than usual and always verifying the identity of the person offering the property. It also advises against making advance payments without guarantees, not accepting excuses for being unable to visit the property, and avoiding providing personal documentation to unknown persons.

In case of suspecting that it may be a scam or if one has already been a victim, the association recommends keeping all evidence, contacting the bank immediately if any payment has been made, and filing a complaint with the security forces and bodies. "Finding decent and affordable housing is already difficult enough. What we cannot allow is that, furthermore, those looking for a home end up being victims of those who profit from their need," concluded Consubal.