How scammers targeted Costa del Sol expat Anne Sewell and attempted to steal her apartment

Anne Sewell, originally from England, has been living on the Costa del Sol for over 20 years. She is originally from England and moved to Spain in the early 1990s with her son, after living for many years in Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

After reading EWN, she decided to tell her story. The Story This is the story of a pregnant Swedish expat, who came home after a long trip to discover that her house was being occupied illegally by others. Anne’s tale began in a subtle way. A man called her on the buzzer one morning to inquire about apartment 3C. He informed her that it was listed in an auction site, and suggested there might be illegal rentals. Anne was initially confused and dismissed the story. 

Two flats from her building have been auctioned

The next day, a young woman knocked, claiming the same—her apartment had been sold online. Anne demanded to see the listing from the woman’s phone. However, it was sketchy and incomplete. She searched for herself and found nothing. The story continued to nag at her.

Anne, concerned, asked the intruder for the link on WhatsApp. She then forwarded the link to her landlord. He confirmed it was scam and wrote a lawyer warning letter in her name. 

Sewell was not concerned about the incident. However, she immediately reported it to her landlady, who then notified authorities. However, Sewell might not be aware that the suspects could have been after her key personal data—copies of her passport, IDs, and even banking details—to forge documents, pose as her, and arrange a fraudulent sale while she was travelling. 

Echoing Swedish Costa del Sol expat’s case

Anne’s story is similar to that of a Swedish woman Returning expats From a holiday in Spain, the owner of her Costa del Sol property returned to discover that it had been sold by a fake power of lawyer and the keys re-keyed. Her experience was devastating—she ended up in the hospital from the emotional trauma of losing her home. In the same region, there are cases of fake sales and empty home fraud.

These scams are only one aspect of a larger issue. Illegal occupation—whether through disregard, desperation, or opportunism—is on the rise across Spain. Ministry of the Interior statistics show that in 2024 there were 16,426 cases of illegal occupation. The increase is 7.4 per cent over the last year. 

45 illegal home invasions daily

It’s 45 illegal home invasions on average every day. Even though it is a tiny fraction of 27 million homes, the cost is not just statistical.

Regions like Catalonia lead the charts with 42 % of occupations. However, coastal provinces such as Málaga, Alicante, and Valencia also experience thousands of incidents each year. Many homeowners find that squatters delay evictions by months. This can cause stress, financial costs and a lack of trust in the legal system.

Anne’s scandal comes at a moment when Spanish courts are attempting to speed up proceedings. The 2025 Anti‑Okupa Law allows fast-track evictions within days for criminal squatting. The law does not provide protection against false title deeds and power of attorneys, nor falsified transactions.

Anne is one of the victims who are left vulnerable. The fake‑sale route is often executed while a homeowner is overseas, their personal documents having been leaked or stolen beforehand. Scammers pose as the homeowner before notaries and forge documents. They then list their property on auction websites or for sale. The victim, unaware, returns to find strangers moving in—or a deed in someone else’s name.

A complex legal battle

The legal process of recovering the property can be a long and complex one. Owners must prove documents were forged, challenge false notarisations, and face bureaucratic delay, while the so‑called buyer may have resold or refinanced the title.

Anne claims to still be a travel and entertainment journalist. Her life overseas and the time she spends on assignments put her at risk—scammers know she travels and may leave her flat unattended. She now keeps a close eye on her property records, encrypts important documents, and has legal advisors at hand.

It felt like a punch in the gut.“ “This is where I live, this is where I’ve built my life,” she said. “This is my home, this is where I have built my life. To think they could pretend to be me and take it—it’s terrifying.” Since then, she has installed security cameras and changed her payment method. She also hired a legal firm. 

She shares with her friends that the landlord has put up signs to warn neighbours and reminds them: “Never lose your guard.” Write down the name of anyone who asks you about your apartment. You can ask to see the documents. No one should decide on your property without your permission.”

You cannot overstate how much victims suffer. Property fraud can leave homeowners emotionally and financially exhausted, as they deal with lawyers, notaries and debt collectors. Even if a court decides in their favor, the homeowners may still be emotionally and financially strained. The eviction or resale of occupants who are not trustworthy can take many months. The damage to local reputations can last for months.

Fraud in the structure of property

Some criminal rings outside tourist hotspots have made property fraud a well-organized operation. In Tenerife earlier this year, nineteen suspects were arrested for forging contracts and selling eighteen properties—including a €1.3 million chalet—often using shell companies and fake IDs. The estimated total of fraud is nearly €2.9 million. The fraud left buyers in limbo while sellers were robbed and investigators scrambled to find evidence.

The formula to target the nearly 3.8 millions empty homes in Spain is tempting. Forge documents, target absentee homeowners, sell, remortgage and repeat. The banks get the money; buyers gamble and homeowners lose their homes.

Coordinated solutions are needed: alerting owners to sign documents before notaries, centralising the registration of powers-of-attorney, requiring ID checks at every stage of the sale and sending instant alerts when a property is listed on public registries. For law enforcement to quickly trace fake transactions, they need well-resourced teams. Property platforms and real estate agents should flag suspicious listings.

Anne’s future is still uncertain. She has taken advice and strengthened her defenses. The fear may still be there, even though she does not show it. Does she still run the risk of losing the flat when she next goes on a vacation?

She advises to: Expats Long-term residents should treat their documents as gold. They should also be on the lookout for any unexpected visitors and question them. Never assume your house can’t get sold while you are away. Because, as she discovered, fraud doesn’t need a break-in—it just needs your paperwork left exposed.