The Police have arrested a 34-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a series of flat rental scams.
Since August 2022, the Police received at least 28 reports of flat rental scams along Yung Kuang Road. The man had contacted the victims who expressed their interest to rent either bedrooms or whole housing unit via different social media platforms. After receiving payments for the deposits, the man would give different excuses to breach the agreements and thereafter failed to refund the victims as promised.
Through follow-up investigations, officers from Jurong Police Division established the identity of the 34-year-old man and arrested him on 5 April 2023. Preliminary investigations revealed that he is also involved in another case of visa application scam.
The man will be charged in court on 13 June 2023 with the offence of cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871. The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to ten years and a fine.
The Police would like to remind members of the public to be wary of such scams and to adopt the following precautionary measures to avoid falling prey to rental scams:
- Do not make any advance payment until the tenancy is confirmed, and pay the rental deposit and rents by cheque or via bank transfer for documentary proof;
- Visit the housing unit which you intend to rent to confirm its existence, the unit’s condition and potential signs of multiple subletting; and
- Verify the identities of the person/s whom you are dealing with and their relationship to the housing unit, especially when you are not engaging the services of a licensed estate agent or registered salespersons.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police hotline at 1800-255 0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
12 June 2023 @ 11:30 AM