Last week, a fraudster tried to capitalize on the housing shortage in Munich with a comparatively new scam. By providing false personal details, the 34-year-old booked accommodation in Schwabing for three days via the Airbnb brokerage portal – and immediately offered it for long-term rental on various real estate portals. As the police announced on Tuesday, they had arranged viewing appointments every quarter of an hour; After being accepted, interested parties should pay a deposit of 7,000 euros into a German bank account.
A 19-year-old from Munich became suspicious after his viewing appointment. He compared the apartment with short-term rental offers online and actually discovered it there. The young man contacted the rightful owner and filed a police report. Plainclothes officers from the Schwabing Inspectorate then arrested the woman last Thursday during a viewing operation. In addition to documents about appointments and possible victims, the police also seized counterfeit euro banknotes as well as jewelry and a watch.
Since the real estate advertisements on the various websites were deleted shortly after the arrest, the investigators assume that the 34-year-old did not act alone, but had helpers in the background. Because the woman is well known and has no permanent residence in Germany, an investigating judge issued an arrest warrant.
Commissariat 64, which is responsible for fraud cases, has taken over further investigations. The detectives cannot yet say how many people were injured; However, based on their initial findings, they assume that the number is very high. Anyone who accepted a rental offer at Kurfürstenstraße 20 between Tuesday, February 13th and Thursday, February 15th is therefore asked to contact the police: 089/29100.