A 41-year-old woman was arrested on Wednesday for her suspected involvement in rental scam cases in Singapore. The police said in a news release that they received a number of reports of rental scam cases in Toa Payoh in October.
In most cases, the victims responded to advertisements on Facebook and placed rental deposits of up to S$700. But, once the deposits were done, the suspect could not be contacted.
On Thursday, the suspect will be charged in court and if found guilty, she might be jailed for up to 10 years and will be fined.
The police urged potential renters to be very careful about such incidents and to make sure that they deal with the rightful owner of the unit. The renters are also requested to confirm whether the owner is an accredited real estate agent.
In case of advertisements, the police advise the renters to search for identical ads placed elsewhere just to check if the listing is a well-known scam.
Authorities also cautioned the public to avoid paying rental deposits or rent to a salesperson. The police said the payments should be made directly to the owner of the property. The payment should be done only after all parties have signed the tenancy agreement.
