A 70-year-old woman from Nuevo León was the victim of an alleged real estate scam after handing over 600,000 pesos as a down payment to buy a house in the municipality of Guadalupe. The victim, identified as María Rita Pérez Pérez, had decided to return to Mexico after living in Dallas, Texas, for three decades, but her dream of owning a home turned into a nightmare.
The events date back to September 2023, when the woman contacted a supposed property recovery company that offered her a property in the Rincón de Guadalupe neighborhood. Two months later, in November, both parties signed a contract before a notary in San Pedro Garza García, stipulating an initial payment of 600,000 pesos and the commitment to deliver the house six months later, upon payment of the remaining balance.
According to the victim, the delivery deadline passed in June 2024, without her receiving any response from the company’s representatives. Alarmed, she decided to travel to Monterrey to visit the offices where she had signed the contract, but upon arriving, she discovered the place was abandoned, with no trace of the company.
“I realized there was nothing there anymore, no offices, no staff. That’s when I understood it was possibly a scam,” explained María Rita. When she went to the notary’s office where the contract had been signed, she was informed that there were other similar complaints and that the case was already being investigated by the authorities.
Despite this, the woman was summoned by the supposed legal representatives of the firm, who asked for more time to release the promised house. Tired of the evasive answers, she demanded a refund and the application of the penalty stipulated in the contract.
During her own investigation, she went to the property address on Rincón de Aire Street, where she received another surprise: the house was indeed for sale, but not through the company with which she had signed the agreement.
When I arrived, I saw a house very different from the one in the photos. It was listed for sale for 2.1 million pesos, but with a different real estate agency. That’s when I confirmed it had all been a scam, the victim lamented.
Almost a year after the incident, María Rita still hasn’t recovered her money or received effective legal help, despite having spent money on legal advice. Desperate and afraid of losing her savings forever, she asked for the intervention of the Nuevo León authorities so that those responsible are punished and she can recover her investment.
“I just want them to return what’s mine and be able to go back to Dallas in peace,” said the victim, who has become another case in the growing list of real estate fraud victims in Mexico.
Source: debate
