The digital squatting mafias that offer apartments, 2,000 euros in hand and the key at your disposal

And after what happened in the Madrid urbanization of the PAU de Carabanchel with a macro-occupation of more than twenty homes, these mafias that offer apartments to squat and They disappear without leaving a trace, they are once again in the spotlight.

Luis García Botellapartner of the law firm GBALabelexplained to ABC that the creators of these videos They act as if they were real estate agencieswho have decided to populate social networks, showing the apartments they have raided, and not to settle in them, but to expressly offer them to the highest bidder.

Over time, squatting has taken on new forms, and what we are talking about here are individuals who act as if they were real mafiaswhich sometimes take advantage of people’s desperation and operate with impunity throughout Spain. On other occasions, those who seek their service presumably know what business they are getting into. «The novelty is that what was previously done in a hidden way is now done, which is the commission of a crime, it is advertised without shame on the internet», comments the lawyer.

The owners are banks, investment funds and also individuals, who, unaware of all this, pYou may find out by chance by looking online or because you receive the touch from a friend who tells you “have you seen that your apartment appears on the internet.”

Modus operandi: the DNI trick

Botella tells us that the way these occupation professionals operate has different modalities. First they occupy a home and change the lock. In that case the alarms may go off or a neighbor may notify the police because they have detected strange movements in a house that was supposedly empty. The competent authority appears and what they do is identify the person who is inside the property with your ID. There are cases in which you could evict the person at that very moment and there are others in which you cannot unless there is a ruling or a court order.

However, the person inside is already identified, if the police do not remove him, the owner of the property has to go through a judicial procedure to be able to remove that squatter. «Next, the person who broke in makes a video announcing a flat in the Villaverde neighborhood, in Madrid, of 60 square meters, and posts it on Tik Tok. They indicate that the future resident may or may not have water and electricity. and you turn on the lights or open the faucets to prove it. Depending on that, prices vary. Furthermore, in the video it says DNI or DNI – a detail that is key,” says Botella.

In the squatters’ jargon, saying that if it is with a DNI means that the police have already arrived at the home and there is already an identified person. «But he won’t be able to fire me immediately, and that, together with the tricks of lawyers, can delay the proceedings for a long time. That’s why, those houses are more expensive for every buyer. because I I already know that the police are not going to come back and that I will be able to be there for a long time.», says Botella.

Furthermore, based on his experience, Botella clarifies that anyone who uses this system to get housing knows perfectly well that they are committing a crime, despite the excuses they make. «The final occupant can purchase access to the house for 2,000 euros or more and then you don’t have to pay again. When under normal conditions that house for rent would probably cost 700 or 800 euros each month. Would you go to one of those ads or would you go to Idealista, Fotocasa or Segunda Mano?», says the lawyer.

Without ID and ‘a la carte’ squatting

Another modality that these professionals use is that they offer you the house saying “without ID.” In that case it means “I’ll change the lock for you the moment you come and get in.” But you as a future occupant you expose yourself to having to show your ID if the police come. And if they kick you out at that moment, then bad luck,” Botella details. That is why they are cheaper homes.

Then there is another modality that consists of assuming that you apply for a home in a certain area. «These occupation professionals review the file of houses that they have on their radar and what they do is They occupy it expressly and then offer it to you», points out the lawyer. Something like an à la carte squat in some cases. «It’s like tomorrow I say, if you want a car, tell me the model, I’ll steal it and put it at the door of your house. “Everyone would say, but what madness is that?” says Botella. And in all modalities the business is that the keys to that house are sold so you can stay indefinitely.

A complicated trail and spikes

The lawyer points out that we are talking about people who have lost the fear of reprisals from the State security forces. And they know how difficult it is to start a judicial process because the owner has to prove that the person who is now occupying it has bought it from a third party. Here is the problem, according to the lawyer. is in that there are no contracts between the real squatter and that of the criminal organization who has given him the home. What’s more, they may have seen it once in your life and they never hear from them again. «In addition, the crime then becomes much more lax when it is not the habitual residence, but a second residence“says the lawyer.

And what is striking for the law firm to which Botella belongs is that they have already noticed a rebound in this type of business from the end of 2023. And they have seen the number of incidents double. He points out that before, contacting these mafias for those looking for an apartment was not easy, but with social networks things have been simplified and occupancy rates have increased.

Furthermore, Botella believes that it would be necessary to have the collaboration of the platforms themselves that provide services to social networks so that those accounts can be immediately closed. Especially if it is the rightful owner who contacts them since the police are absolutely overwhelmed.