The Queen of Real-Estate Scams Captured in Belén

• 🚨 International fugitive arrested in Belén after scamming victims across multiple countries

• 💸 Reported losses reach nearly 19 million dollars across more than 400 complaints

• 🏘️ Fake luxury real-estate projects were marketed to foreigners using polished branding

• 🌎 Victims include residents of the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Europe and the Caribbean

• 🔒 Extradition underway as authorities work to dismantle the rest of the network

Keylis Samahi Belfon walked through Medellín like any other newcomer, but behind her quiet presence in Belén sat the wreckage of hundreds of lives. Authorities arrested the 31-year-old Venezuelan after a Red Notice from the Dominican Republic linked her to one of the most damaging real-estate fraud networks in the Caribbean. Her name appears in multiple major reports from Caracol Radio, El Espectador and Infobae, all identifying her as a central figure in an international scam that targeted people across the Americas.

Her network ran polished real-estate fronts that looked legitimate. Branded offices. High-end logos. Sharp digital platforms. Contracts that felt professional. Foreign investors saw a company that looked trustworthy. What they did not know was that the projects she promoted never existed and the money they sent was already wired into an international laundering system the moment it hit her accounts. They used known platforms like Expat-centric real estate groups on Facebook and exploited the boom of real estate markets in Latin America.

Dominican authorities uncovered the pattern first. They reported nearly nineteen million dollars in losses and more than four hundred formal complaints, many from people outside the country. Some reports say foreigners made up a significant part of the victim list. Citizens from the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and several European countries all trusted the same glossy presentation that Belfon’s network used to create the illusion of opportunity.

Her arrest hits differently if you live in Medellín. Anyone who has spent time here knows how easy it is to trust a company with modern branding. People fall for clean websites and convincing sales videos. They trust international sounding names and “luxury development” imagery. That is exactly how Belfon built her operation. She understood how to sell a dream to people looking for a better life or a smart investment. She gave them something to believe in, and then she took their money.

The money flowed across borders through digital transfers and shell accounts. The Dominican Republic’s Specialized Anti Money Laundering Office sent the alert that triggered a joint investigation with Interpol, Fiscalia Colombia, Migración Colombia, the National Police and the Medellín Mayor’s Office. They built the case quietly. They tracked movements, checked immigration records, analyzed financial patterns and cross referenced international complaints until it became clear that Belfon was not just passing through Medellín., she was settling here.

Her arrest in Belén was fast and precise. No drama, no chase, authorities took her into custody and transferred her to the Fiscalía, where extradition proceedings began immediately while the Dominican Republic sends formal documentation through diplomatic channels. For the victims, this is the first moment of justice in a story that left many of them financially and emotionally shaken.

For expats living in Medellín, this is where the lesson cuts deep. Belfon’s victims were people who believed in the same things many newcomers believe in. They trusted companies that looked professional. They thought a foreign run project implied safety. They moved money because everything checked out on the surface. Scam networks like this target foreigners because they know the emotional appeal of a new life in a new country is powerful. They know people want to believe they found the right opportunity. They studied the movements in the real estate groups for every place they targeted and exploited this to get money from people.

I can't stress this enough. In the 10 years I have called Medellin home, I have seen countless scammers trying to get over on unsuspecting tourists. ALWAYS do research on who you are doing business with. I can recommend that if you're looking for a rental, work with LIV realty. They are going to take care of everything for you and they will always fix anything that needs to be done. If you are buying, I recommend that you at the minimum talk to Andrew Macias, he's been in this real estate market for years and is fair. There are many you can go with, but I'll tell you that finding good professionals here is like gold. This case proves that it's so important.

Hundreds of people lost money they could not afford to lose. Some lost retirement savings. Some lost the chance to move abroad. Some lost the dream they had planned for years. Belfon might have been hiding quietly in Belén, but the damage she caused stretched across the Caribbean.

A few things to think about here. If you are dealing with someone who is selling real estate here and doesn't have a ID to send you , there is a problem. If they want you to transfer money in crypto, be wary. If you can't meet them in person or some that works for them, there is a problem. Have an attorney look over any contracts here - especially if you don't speak Spanish well. This city is starting to get the reputation of being a hotbed for scammers and finessers. There is a gold rush going on here, and scamming you out of money is the gold. Be smart about your money, protect it as much as you can.

The arrest sends a message to anyone who thinks Medellín is a place to disappear, it's not. The city has become too connected, too visible and too organized for that. Expats can feel safer knowing that this case shows how quickly international coordination can bring down a network that thought it was untouchable.

Keylis Samahi Belfon built her empire on trust. Her capture proves that trust matters here more than she counted on.