Police have arrested a 49-year-old man believed to be involved in more than 20 cases of rental scams, the Singapore Police Force announced on Tuesday (Feb 17).
In a news release, police said that on Feb 14, two similar cases of flat rental scams were reported. In these cases, the victims had responded to an online advertisement for rental of a unit in Boon Lay Drive and Ghim Moh Road.
“The suspect would then follow up and arrange with the victims to view the unit, and thereafter collect money ranging from S$2,400 to S$2,840 from them as advance payment and deposit for the flat rental,” police said. After collecting the rental fees, he could not be contacted, they added.
Police arrested the suspect at Jalan Besar on Tuesday at about 1.25am. They seized from him receipt books and files containing stacks of tenancy agreements.
Preliminary investigations show the suspect could be linked to more than 20 counts of rental scams using flats at Mei Ling Street, Ghim Moh Road and Boon Lay Drive, police said.
The suspect will be charged in court on Wednesday and if convicted of cheating, he could be jailed up to 10 years.
Source : Channel NewsAsia – 17 Feb 2015