Overview
- The defendant, identified in court records as P. M.M. O., agreed at a conformity hearing to a one-year prison term plus a €900 fine and €470 in compensation for a rental fraud in Vigo.
- According to the judicial account, the scam used an online ad and phone contact, an unidentified intermediary collected €200 in cash as a reservation, and the victim later transferred €270 as a security deposit without ever gaining access to the flat.
- The accused told the victim access would be delayed until 30 October 2024 for alleged renovations, a claim that proved false and formed part of the recorded fraud narrative.
- Local reporting and court files describe the 41-year-old as a repeat offender with prior convictions for similar rental scams and note he was brought to the hearing under police escort and declared guilty.
- The case underscores the human cost of online rental fraud for people seeking housing and highlights the risks of advance payments to unverified listings and the need for stronger platform safeguards and renter caution.