Idealista listing with cloned photos, how I caught it
the rental market in sevilla is such a mess that these scammers are getting bolder with the photos. i had a run in with one where the balcony view in the photo was clearly madrid. you really have to look at the street view and compare the window shapes. thanks for putting this together because the 2024 tactics are definitely getting more sophisticated than just the old airbnb link trick.
if you are looking for 6 months specifically, stay away from the main listings on idealista. search for 'alquiler de temporada' instead. most regular landlords in triana want a long term contract of one year minimum. the scammers target the short term '6 month' crowd because they know we are willing to pay a bit more and are usually fresh off the plane without local contacts.
the triana market is absolutely insane right now and scammers know it. 900 for a 2 bed with a terrace near the river should be the first warning. i pay 1100 for a one bedroom in that area and it was a struggle to get. glad you did the reverse image search. i always tell people to check the street view too. half the time the windows in the photos don't even match the architecture of the building on the street.
exactly. if it looks like a luxury airbnb and the price is under four figures, it is 100% fake. did you notice if they had those little red watermarks on the photos or did they crop them out?
honestly keeping a notes group with other dnv holders is the only way to survive the seville market right now. i saw a place near setas last week where the guy claimed he was out of the country and wanted a deposit via wire before a viewing. classic red flag. did your group find many of these on fotocasa too or is it mostly just an idealista problem this season?
it is definitely on fotocasa as well but idealista feels like the wild west lately. i noticed they even clone the descriptions word for word but sometimes forget to change the neighborhood name. it is pure laziness.
good catch on the booking platform link. those fake airbnb or tripadvisor clones are popping up everywhere in Seville lately. i had a guy try to tell me he lived in london and couldn't show me the place until i paid a holding fee. it's the oldest trick in the book. never ever move to whatsapp if you can help it. keep the paper trail on the actual website as long as possible.
one thing i would add to your playbook is to always check the profile age of the poster. if it is a brand new account and the price for a three bedroom in triana is under a thousand euros it is a scam every single time. there are no deals left in this city. if it looks like a bargain it is a trap. i learned that the hard way back in february.
i'm curious if you reported the listing to idealista. i've flagged similar ones in the past and they take forever to pull them down. by the time they do, the same scammer has five new accounts under different names. the platform is getting really messy with ghost listings. did the person on whatsapp have a spanish number or was it a +44 or something else?
did you check if they had a professional profile? usually the legit agencies like remax or engel & volkers won't pull that whatsapp stuff. if it's a 'private owner' with zero history and photos that look like a magazine, it's a trap. did the 'insurance' they mentioned have a name or was it just some generic term they made up? i've seen them call it 'fianza de visita' which isn't even a legal thing here.
i had this same thing happen but with a flat near plaza de armas. the photos were actually from a real estate site in italy. it's crazy how lazy they are. one thing i do now is ask them for a video of them walking through the flat while saying my name. they usually stop responding immediately. if they can't show it live on camera it doesn't exist.
the video trick is the best advice. i even ask them to look out the window so i can see the street name or a landmark. if they say they are 'out of town' then it's a scam. every single time.
honestly 2200 for a deposit before even seeing the door is ballsy of them. people get desperate because the dnv needs a rental contract for the padron sometimes and they rush into things. i nearly fell for a place in macarena last month that used photos from a pinterest board. it is getting so much harder to find honest landlords who aren't trying to overcharge or scam nomads.
the padron pressure is real. i think that's why these scams work so well on folks with the digital nomad visa. we are on a clock and they use that urgency against us. i ended up just staying in an overpriced serviced apartment for two months just to avoid the idealista stress.