Morairaway.com travel scandal: police probe British connection

A Spanish police investigation into a website which shut down after taking hundreds of bookings for phantom holiday villas is centring on a British-run company.

Paul Quinn Properties S.L., is the Spanish-registered company which is believed to have operated the site called morairaway.com.

Guardia Civil officers investigating the alleged fraud are examining the activities of the company which was registered as a real estate business in Javea, near Alicante, in February.

In official records obtained by The Times, the company was said to have one owner, a Paul Nicholas Quinn. The company capital is €3,006.

After Timesonline broke the news of the apparent holiday villas scam last week, hundreds of victims have emerged across Europe.

At least 100 families in the UK are involved with a similar number abroad. Average bookings totalled £3,000 but the final bill for ruined summer holidays is likely to top £1m.

One of the victims, Ciara Kelly, wrote her story in the Irish Independent at the weekend.

Antonio Saiz, of the Guardia Civil guard in Javea, told The Times: “We are looking into the activities of this company (Paul Quinn Properties S.L.) which appears to have been run by Britons or a Briton.

“But we are also examining if there were some links to India. It may have been operated from there.”

Spanish police are also looking into the activities of one British national said by those who lost out to have been fronting the company.

Mr Saiz confirmed police were investigating the involvement of Tony Duncan-Smith.

Many ‘victims’ said they repeatedly dealt with Mr Duncan-Smith when concerns mounted about their holiday villas.

Mr Saiz said so far seven ‘victims’ had contacted the Guardia Civil but he asked any more people who had lost out to ring investigators on 00 34 965 791 085.

He said so far no arrests had been made.

The Times has received emails from families and friends in the UK, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, France, Finland, Germany and Russia who have lost deposits or full payments.

Thames Valley Police Economic Crime Unit is poised to open an investigation after representations from two UK holiday websites which advertised the mythical villas.

Holidaylettings.co.uk and Holiday-rentals.co.uk both failed to pick up suspicious behaviour before the Spanish site shut down and its owners disappeared.

A Holidaylettings.co.uk spokeswoman said: “We have met with and referred the case to Thames Valley Police who will be assessing the matter.”

The company is to tighten its fraud prevention methods and tools.

UK-based customers booking with Holiday-rentals.co.uk are covered for fraud up to £3,300, but flights and car hire are not included.

Morairaway.com, its sister-site denia.villas, and another site Ipuertobanus evaded the company’s security checks has raised concerns among holidaymakers and other internet-based referral sites.