SINGAPORE: At least 287 individuals have fallen victim to Singapore rental scams involving fake property agents, resulting in total losses of at least S$1.8 million (US$1.34 million) between July and November, according to the released police report on Monday, Dec 11.
Channel News Asia reported that such scams involve victims being coerced by fraudulent property agents into making payments to secure property viewings or rentals. Typically, victims responded to sponsored property rental listings on online platforms such as Facebook, Carousell, and rental advertisement sites, with the highest number of victims found among those responding to Facebook listings.
Engaging with scammers via WhatsApp using contact numbers provided in the rental listings, victims were led to believe they were dealing with a legitimate property agent registered with the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA). The scammers substantiated their credentials by sending images of their CEA registration number and business cards, as well as photos, videos, or virtual tours of the purported rental property.
However, it was discovered that the provided contact numbers did not match those registered with CEA, leading victims to realise they had been scammed when attempts to contact legitimate property agents were unsuccessful.
Scammers often claimed high demand for the property, pressuring victims to make deposits to secure it. Victims later realised they were deceived when scammers ceased contact or when they reached out to the genuine property agents who were impersonated.
Victims were sometimes instructed to meet with the scammers’ “personal assistants” to facilitate property viewings. After the viewing, victims were asked to provide personal details for tenancy agreements and to make payments for rentals via bank transfers or PayNow. Following the payment, scammers and their “personal assistants” vanished.
Between July and November, at least 77 victims fell prey to this method, losing a total of at least S$473,000.
To combat such scams, the police urged the public not to rely solely on Facebook or Carousell listings or trust the assurances of scammers on WhatsApp. Prospective renters were advised to verify the legitimacy of the listed property agents by checking the advertised phone numbers on the CEA public register.
If the phone number is not found on the CEA register, it is likely a scam, even if the property agent’s name and registration number appear legitimate. Renters were also advised to contact property agents’ agencies from trusted sources for verification and not rely on the phone numbers provided in online listings.
Additionally, the police highlighted that property agents are not permitted to demand payments for property viewings, and rental deposits must be made directly to the landlord’s bank accounts, not those of “personal assistants” or PayNow numbers.
Members of the public were encouraged to report fraudulent pages to the online platforms hosting the listings to help curb the rising trend of rental scams. /TISG