Guardia Civil Uncovers Network Behind €20,000 Holiday Rental Scam in Lanzarote

The Guardia Civil has dismantled a criminal network accused of defrauding a Lanzarote holiday rental company out of around €20,000 through a sophisticated booking scam involving stolen credit cards.

Five people are currently under investigation, while a further six individuals have been identified for their alleged roles in offences including fraud, document forgery, identity theft and participation in a criminal organisation.

The investigation began during the first quarter of 2026, after a tourism company based in Lanzarote reported that it had fallen victim to an elaborate fraud linked to villa rentals that had taken place the previous year.

According to investigators, a man posing as a tourism broker approached the company in 2025, offering to supply customers looking to rent luxury holiday villas on the island in return for a commission.

After the agreement was reached, the suspect sent what appeared to be legitimate booking requests, complete with customer identification documents and credit card details. The payments initially appeared to be successfully processed, leading the Lanzarote company to confirm the reservations.

Once the bookings had been accepted, the fake intermediary requested payment of his commission, which totalled approximately €20,000. The company transferred the money to several bank accounts provided by the suspect.

However, shortly afterwards, the original reservation payments were reversed by the banks after it was discovered that the credit cards used had been stolen in other countries. By then, the commission had already been paid out.

The case was investigated by the cybercrime unit in Lanzarote, which carried out an extensive inquiry into the fraud. Officers identified 10 individuals who allegedly provided personal identification documents or bank accounts that were used to facilitate the scam.

Investigators also identified the suspected leader of the organisation, who is believed to have accessed the fraudulently obtained funds through bank accounts held in the names of other people before withdrawing cash from ATMs across Madrid in an apparent attempt to hinder investigators from tracing the money.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the Guardia Civil has not ruled out further arrests as enquiries continue.