Danish agent disappears with thousands of euros of expats' money in Spain - Oliva Press News Spain

An ex real estate agent has disappeared, leaving dozens of expats up to a million euros at a loss.

Dutch realtor Annika Helena van der Pluijm is accused of taking deposits of around €750,000 on properties and disappearing with the money.

The majority of the victims - Dutch and British nationals - had to sue after the company's office in Almandor, Almeria, closed without warning.

They also set up a Facebook page "Catch These Scammers" in an attempt to find van der Pluijm, who also used the name Ana Sanchez.

Affected clients of her agency, Inmobiliaria Partaloa, told Olive Press that they have now filed "at least six" formal police reports.

One of the British victims, who asked that his name be withheld, said they "won't rest until she is caught. "She has ruined many lives," said the 55-year-old man, who is currently renting nearby in Cuevas de Almandora.

"Many of us have lost our savings because of this scam." He lost €9,500 and the total losses for the whole group exceeded €750,000.

"And more and more victims are coming forward, so we expect this figure to grow rapidly," he continued.

Olive Press has learned that Ana's husband, German Thomas van der Pluijm, has also been a no-show since late January.

And he and their two young sons, as well as Ana's parents, have left the large country house they shared in La Oi, near Cantoria.

More than a dozen dogs of the preza-canario breed they raised have also left the property.

The family is known to have had "business interests" in France and Hungary, and members believe it has fled the country.

It is ironic that van der Pluijm has publicly supported our campaign against leverage padding between solicitors and agents, declaring herself an "ethical estate agent".

When Olive Press tried to contact her this week, however, she did not respond to emails and her phone was switched off.