Expat from Costa del Sol returns from trip to find her home has been ‘sold’

After returning from a trip overseas, a 32-year old Swedish expat living in Mijas discovered that her Costa del Sol property had been sold without her knowledge using a fake power of attorney.

A woman who lived on the coast in peace for over two decades had no idea that a group of fraudsters was selling her villa with fake legal documents while she was away last December. The incident first came to light via a Swedish media outlet. X post On May 31,

When the 32-year old pregnant Swedish woman returned home to Mijas she found that her house had been sold. The Swede was the victim of an unbelievable real estate scam”, the outlet wrote in the social media platform.

The property, which is located in the Riviera Del Sol, was transferred into the name of another party by a notary after the woman had never signed a power-of-attorney. According to a Swedish magazine, the perpetrators did not only falsify her identity documents, but also the notarised authorization that gave them full rights for the sale of the property. article. 

Strangers bought her house while she was away

When she returned home to Spain, she discovered strangers living in her former home. Fraudsters had changed the locks and her belongings were missing. The new “owners”, however, claimed to have legally purchased the property. It was then that the nightmare began.

She went to Guardia Civil who started an investigation. They discovered a well-orchestrated operation that involved falsified documentation and a suspected international collaboration. The Guardia Civil handed this case over to a police unit that deals with fraud and property crimes.

According to sources close to the investigation, the fake power was drafted in Marbella before being used in Fuengirola. Investigators now are working to track down the notary, who approved the documents. They also want to know who was behind the shell buyer that briefly bought the property and then sold it on to another buyer.

Beware! Beware!

The Swedish outlet said that this is not an isolated incident. A Málaga lawyer said it’s the third case he’s heard this year so far. Legal experts along the coast have noticed a recent increase in cases of property fraud involving foreigners with assets that were left unattended. 

The Costa del Sol has become a prime target for criminal gangs who exploit the trust issues, distance and complex legal system. With forged powers of attorney, counterfeit IDs, and fabricated signatures, they push through fraudulent sales or secure remortgages—often without raising so much as an eyebrow until it’s far too late. 

These operations are carefully planned, quietly executed, and have devastating consequences. The personal consequences for the Swedish expat home owner have been catastrophic, especially since she is a mom.

She would have lived there for more than 20 years

This was not just a house—it was her home, the space where she had built a life over more than 20 years. It was a shock to return home and discover strangers in the house, with her belongings missing and her name wiped off of the deed. This was the worst kind of violation. It has taken a heavy emotional toll. What was supposed to be a simple matter of ownership turned into a long and exhausting legal battle.

Her solicitor is now involved in the slow, painful task of unravelling fraud. But reversing a property transfer in Spain—even one based on forged documents—is neither quick nor straightforward. Each step is slowed down by mountains of paper, delays in the official system, and an inertia that comes with a system that’s not meant to be fast. Until the courts intervene, the house remains legally in the name of a second buyer—someone who might have purchased it in good faith or perhaps as part of the broader scheme. No one is sure.

She is left without a roof above her head, and she fears that her unborn baby will be lost. Stripped of legal rights to her own home, she’s stuck in a paralysing state of limbo—watching from the sidelines as the slow wheels of justice turn.