Singapore police have warned the public about a resurgence of rental scams involving fake property agents who ask for deposits to secure appointments for viewing properties.
According to the police, at least 287 victims have fallen prey to such scams between July and November 2023, with total losses amounting to over US$1 million.
The scammers would post fake property listings on websites and contact potential renters through WhatsApp chats, using spoofed numbers with the “+65” prefix. They would also use photos, names and license numbers of legitimate property agents that can be found on rental websites, to deceive the victims into believing that they are dealing with genuine agents.
The victims would then be asked to make refundable deposits, ranging from US$50 to US$300, to secure an appointment for viewing the property. The scammers would provide bank account numbers or phone numbers for the victims to transfer the money. After receiving the payment, the scammers would stop communicating with the victims.
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The police advised the public to beware of property listings on alternative platforms and to verify the legitimacy of the listings by ensuring that the contact number matches the one on the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA)’s website, where details on agencies are listed.
The public should also be wary of unknown numbers with the “+65” prefix, especially on WhatsApp chats, as these numbers were implemented by telcos in April 2020 to alert the public that they were being contacted from overseas, which is part of broader anti-scam efforts.
The police added that property agents are not authorized to handle cash transactions, and that no payments should be made before a house viewing. The public should also not transfer money to unknown persons, and report any suspicious cases to the police.
