The Carpetbaggers

Not all of the foreigners who move to Spain do so to retire gracefully, or work for a company or for themselves in an honest way. It is said that we come in three flavours - those who live from money from outside (pensions, transfers or remittances), those who make their money here in some way, and those who live off their wits - which usually means conning their fellow foreigners (bamboozling Spaniards is not a good idea, they know the system better than we do).
So, I've been swindled a number of times down the road, practically always by people I know: people who originated from my home country.
I wonder why they come here. On the lam from the police maybe, or from the courts, or indeed from their circle of friends or associates. They come here as carpetbaggers, with an invented past which would normally not bear much scrutiny, only here of course (under normal circumstances), nobody cares.
We have more captains of industry, senior military figures and retired police chiefs than would seem humanly possible. They tend to be very proper.
You may also find these people in the bar (indeed, it's quite likely), where they will sell you a house, or furniture, or an investment scheme. 'Don't worry', they say, 'I speak the lingo'.
Amusingly, an obscure newspaper from the Costa Blanca appears to have caught one. They say the person evaded justice in the UK and has been here for twenty years. Next week, they promise to reveal who this is. I wonder if this will come as a surprise.
I'd give you the link, but Google says it has 'been pirated'.