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SINGAPORE: No less than 287 people have fallen sufferer to Singapore rental scams involving pretend property brokers, leading to complete losses of at the very least S$1.8 million (US$1.34 million) between July and November, in line with the launched police report on Monday, Dec 11.
Channel Information Asia reported that such scams contain victims being coerced by fraudulent property brokers into making funds to safe property viewings or leases. Sometimes, victims responded to sponsored property rental listings on on-line platforms comparable to Fb, Carousell, and rental commercial websites, with the best variety of victims discovered amongst these responding to Fb listings.
Participating with scammers through WhatsApp utilizing contact numbers supplied within the rental listings, victims had been led to consider they had been coping with a reputable property agent registered with the Council for Property Businesses (CEA). The scammers substantiated their credentials by sending pictures of their CEA registration quantity and enterprise playing cards, in addition to photographs, movies, or digital excursions of the purported rental property.
Nevertheless, it was found that the supplied contact numbers didn’t match these registered with CEA, main victims to understand that they had been scammed when makes an attempt to contact reputable property brokers had been unsuccessful.
Scammers usually claimed excessive demand for the property, pressuring victims to make deposits to safe it. Victims later realised they had been deceived when scammers ceased contact or once they reached out to the real property brokers who had been impersonated.
Victims had been generally instructed to fulfill with the scammers’ “private assistants” to facilitate property viewings. After the viewing, victims had been requested to offer private particulars for tenancy agreements and to make funds for leases through financial institution transfers or PayNow. Following the cost, scammers and their “private assistants” vanished.
Between July and November, at the very least 77 victims fell prey to this technique, shedding a complete of at the very least S$473,000.
To fight such scams, the police urged the general public to not rely solely on Fb or Carousell listings or belief the assurances of scammers on WhatsApp. Potential renters had been suggested to confirm the legitimacy of the listed property brokers by checking the marketed cellphone numbers on the CEA public register.
If the cellphone quantity isn’t discovered on the CEA register, it’s probably a rip-off, even when the property agent’s title and registration quantity seem reputable. Renters had been additionally suggested to contact property brokers’ companies from trusted sources for verification and never depend on the cellphone numbers supplied in on-line listings.
Moreover, the police highlighted that property brokers aren’t permitted to demand funds for property viewings, and rental deposits have to be made on to the owner’s financial institution accounts, not these of “private assistants” or PayNow numbers.
Members of the general public had been inspired to report fraudulent pages to the net platforms internet hosting the listings to assist curb the rising pattern of rental scams. /TISG
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