Police arrest man believed to be behind series of room rental scams
Thursday, Aug 25, 2016
SINGAPORE - A man believed to be behind a series of rental scams has been arrested.
According to the police, the 36-year-old is believed to be involved in at least nine cases of rental-related scams between June and August this year.
Various individuals stated that they had given a scammer deposits ranging from $200 to $1,000 after responding to an online advertisement for a rental room in Punggol.
After receiving payment, the scammer would become uncontactable.
If convicted, the man faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine.
Police said in an advisory that members of the public who are looking for rental units should:
a) Visit the property to verify that it exists
b) Ensure that the person you deal with is the rightful owner of the unit, or confirm that they are an accredited real estate agent
c) Search for identical ads placed elsewhere; you could find out that the listing is a well-known scam
d) Do not pay rental deposits or rent to the salesperson; payments should be made directly to the owner of the property and only after all parties have signed the tenancy agreement
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