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CasaVanguardia

Anti-Fraud Warning & Safety Guide

Last updated: 2025-02-12 v1.0

Why This Page Exists

Property portals are a known target for fraud. Scammers exploit the trust people place in online listings to steal money, personal information, or both. At CasaVanguardia, we take this seriously and want to help you protect yourself.

This page explains common fraud schemes, warning signs to watch for, what we do to reduce risk, and how to report suspicious activity.

Common Property Fraud Schemes

Fake Listings

Scammers create fictitious property listings — often using stolen photographs of real properties — at unusually attractive prices. The goal is to lure victims into paying deposits, reservation fees, or rent for properties that either do not exist or are not actually available.

Advance Fee Fraud

A fraudster posing as a landlord, agent, or property manager asks for upfront payments (deposits, booking fees, “holding fees”, key money) before you have viewed the property or signed a legitimate contract. Once payment is made, the fraudster disappears.

Identity Theft

Fake listings or fake inquiry forms may be used to harvest personal information — identity documents, bank details, proof of income — under the pretence of a tenancy application or property purchase process. This information is then used for identity fraud.

Phishing and Impersonation

Scammers may impersonate CasaVanguardia, a legitimate real estate agency, or a known property portal in emails, messages, or fake websites. The goal is to trick you into clicking malicious links, entering login credentials, or making payments to fraudulent accounts.

Rental Deposit Scams

A common variant in the Spanish property market: the scammer claims to own or manage a property, provides a plausible story for why they cannot meet in person (often claiming to be abroad), and requests a deposit via international wire transfer to “secure” the property.

Title Fraud

In more sophisticated schemes, fraudsters impersonate property owners and attempt to sell or rent properties they do not own, sometimes using forged documents. This is particularly common with vacant or holiday properties.

Red Flags to Watch For

Be cautious if you encounter any of the following:

  • Price too good to be true. If a property is significantly cheaper than comparable listings in the same area, it may be fraudulent. Research local market prices before engaging.
  • Urgency and pressure. Phrases like “another buyer is interested”, “you must pay today to secure it”, or “this deal expires tomorrow” are common pressure tactics.
  • Refusal to allow viewings. A legitimate seller or landlord will allow you to view the property. Excuses for why a viewing cannot be arranged — especially combined with requests for money — are a major warning sign.
  • Request for wire transfer or cryptocurrency. Legitimate agents and landlords in Spain and the EU typically do not ask for deposits via international wire transfer, Western Union, MoneyGram, or cryptocurrency. These payment methods are difficult or impossible to reverse.
  • Communication only via messaging apps. While some initial communication via WhatsApp or similar platforms is normal, a refusal to provide verifiable business contact details (office phone, website, registered address) is suspicious.
  • Requesting copies of identity documents early. A legitimate agent may need identification at the contract stage, but requests for passport copies, bank statements, or tax returns before you have viewed a property should be treated with caution.
  • Inconsistent details. The property address does not match the photos. The agent’s name changes between communications. The bank account is in a different country than the property. These inconsistencies are warning signs.
  • No verifiable agent or agency. The person cannot provide a licence number, registered business name, or verifiable office address.

What CasaVanguardia Does

Listing Aggregation and Its Limitations

CasaVanguardia aggregates property listings from publicly available sources. This means we display listings that originate from third-party websites, agency feeds, and public databases. It is important to understand the implications:

  • We do not independently verify every listing. While we apply automated checks and remove obviously suspicious content, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or legitimacy of every listing on the Platform.
  • We are not a party to any transaction. CasaVanguardia is a search and discovery tool, not a real estate agency or transaction intermediary.
  • Source attribution. Where possible, we identify the source of each listing so you can verify the information with the original provider.

Automated and Manual Safeguards

We employ a combination of measures to reduce the presence of fraudulent listings:

  • Automated content analysis to flag listings with characteristics commonly associated with fraud (e.g. price anomalies, duplicate images, suspicious descriptions).
  • Source monitoring to track the reliability of data sources over time and deprioritise or remove sources that consistently produce low-quality or suspicious listings.
  • User reporting tools that allow anyone to flag a suspicious listing for review.
  • Manual review of flagged listings by our team.

These measures reduce risk but cannot eliminate it entirely. You must always exercise your own judgment and due diligence.

How to Report a Suspicious Listing

If you believe a listing on CasaVanguardia is fraudulent, misleading, or suspicious, please report it:

By email: report@farhorizons.io

Please include:

  • The URL of the suspicious listing.
  • A description of why you believe the listing is fraudulent or suspicious.
  • Any communications you have had with the person associated with the listing (screenshots are helpful).
  • Your contact information so we can follow up if needed.

We will acknowledge your report within 2 business days and investigate promptly. If the listing is determined to be fraudulent, it will be removed and the data source will be flagged for review.

General Safety Tips

Before You Engage

  1. Research the market. Know what properties typically cost in the area you are searching. If a deal seems unrealistically good, it probably is.
  2. Verify the agent or agency. Check that the agent or agency is registered and licensed. In Spain, you can check with the local Colegio de Agentes de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria or the relevant regional registry.
  3. Search for the property independently. If you find the same listing on the agent’s own website and on reputable portals, that is a good sign. If the listing only appears in one obscure place, be cautious.

Before You Pay

  1. Always visit the property in person (or have a trusted representative do so) before making any payment.
  2. Never wire money based solely on an online listing. Do not send deposits, holding fees, or any other payments until you have verified the property, the seller/landlord, and their right to sell or rent.
  3. Use traceable payment methods. If you must make a payment, use a method that provides buyer protection and a paper trail. Avoid cash, wire transfers to personal accounts, and cryptocurrency.
  4. Get everything in writing. Ensure all agreements are documented in a formal contract reviewed by a qualified legal professional in the relevant jurisdiction.

Protecting Your Identity

  1. Do not send copies of identity documents until you have verified the legitimacy of the agent and the property, and you are at a stage in the transaction where such documentation is legally required.
  2. Be wary of unsolicited communications claiming to be from CasaVanguardia or a listing agent. Verify the sender’s identity independently before responding.
  3. Use strong, unique passwords for your CasaVanguardia account and enable multi-factor authentication where available.

If You Have Been a Victim

If you believe you have been the victim of property fraud:

  1. Contact your bank or payment provider immediately to report the fraudulent transaction and attempt to recover funds.
  2. File a police report in the jurisdiction where the fraud occurred. In Spain, you can report to the Policia Nacional or Guardia Civil. In Estonia, contact the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet).
  3. Report to us at report@farhorizons.io so we can investigate and remove fraudulent content.
  4. Report to relevant consumer protection authorities:
    • Spain: Oficina Municipal de Informacion al Consumidor (OMIC) in your municipality, or the Agencia Espanola de Consumo, Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricion (AECOSAN).
    • EU-wide: European Consumer Centre in your country (ec.europa.eu/consumers/ecc).
    • Estonia: Estonian Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (Tarbijakaitse ja Tehnilise Jarelevalve Amet) at ttja.ee.

Useful Resources

Contact

For questions about this Anti-Fraud Warning or to report suspicious activity: