What does the case mean for buyers from abroad?
The Policía Nacional counts 28 victims who wanted to buy homes or plots through a single agency in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The reports do not say whether any of them are foreigners.
The reports of 9 November 2026 name no new rules or deadlines, because a criminal case is under way. Even so, the case shows a pattern that can catch any buyer: by the police account, the agency’s office and website looked genuine.
The owner offered the properties at the agency’s office in the island capital and on its website. Buyers who signed a purchase contract and transferred a reservation fee plus deposit (arras) heard nothing more from the owner, police say.
The reports give buyers no advice and no hint on how to file a complaint. In its 2024 holiday-rental tips, the Policía Nacional advises distrusting extremely cheap offers and reporting any suspicion.
How did the scam work?
The main suspect ran the agency as its owner and, according to the Policía Nacional, used its legal appearance to win trust. The owner offered homes and plots in person at the office and online.
Once buyers had paid the reservation and the arras contract (the deposit on a purchase), the owner cut all contact, police say. The money went on to third parties or to accounts abroad to hide its fraudulent origin.
According to police, some victims lost most of their savings. They set up a forum, and other victims joined once they noticed the fraud.
What is known about the arrests and custody?
Investigators link 20 complaints and 28 victims to the case, with losses of 114,900 euros. The complaints reached various police stations on the island from 2024 onwards.
Police say a clear rise in fraud complaints around buying and selling homes and plots triggered the inquiry. It led to four suspects, with the agency owner as the main suspect, and the others allegedly received the transfers.
Police arrested three of the four suspects, and the fourth person is still under investigation. A judge ordered prison for the main suspect, but the reports do not say whether it is pre-trial detention.
The suspects’ names and ages, the agency’s name and the exact date of the arrests are unpublished. The competent court and each detainee’s exact role also remain open.
Are there similar cases on Tenerife?
In Arona, in the south of the island, at least six buyers, including a Russian woman, reported an agency, according to a report of 19 October 2026. It allegedly offered bank-repossessed properties well under price against a deposit, some of them not for sale.
The Guardia Civil (Spanish gendarmerie) team in Playa de Las Américas is investigating 11 people aged 19 to 45, according to a report of 29 September 2026. The charges are fraud and document forgery in fake holiday rentals, and the number of victims and the sum are not given.
On 19 March 2025 the Policía Nacional on Tenerife arrested 19 people who allegedly took over 18 properties with forged papers. The loss is estimated at 2.9 million euros, and two suspects went to prison.
The Interior Ministry counted 13,324 cybercrimes in the Canary Islands from January to September 2025, mostly online fraud, up 4.3% on the same period a year earlier. For the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife it lists 8,050 offences in total, up 5.4%, and none of the figures shows property fraud separately.
What happens next in the case?
Investigations into the fourth person continue. According to the reports, no dates for an indictment or trial have been announced.
Whether the victims will get their money back is open, and nothing is confirmed. In the Arona case, one victim says the accused did repay part of it.
Police say the victims’ forum exists, but the reports give no link. The inquiry here began with complaints at Policía Nacional stations on the island, and no source mentions a dedicated contact point for victims.