Police have arrested a 45-year-old man who is believed to have been involved in at least 13 reports of rental scam at Block 1 Lorong Lew Lian.
In all the cases, the 21 victims responded to rental advertisements placed in the Chinese newspapers between March 4 and 29 this year.
The suspect allegedly arranged for the victims to view the unit for rent and collected between S$500 and S$4,800 from them as deposits, telling them they could move in the following month.
After collecting the money, the man became un-contactable.
The suspect was arrested on Tuesday at about 7.15pm at HarbourFront.
He will be charged on Thursday in court with cheating.
He can be jailed up to 10 years and fined.
Meanwhile, the police advise members of the public to adopt the following crime prevention measures when seeking a unit for rent:
a) Visit the flat you wish to rent and ensure the person you are dealing with is the rightful flat owner. Request documentary proof of flat ownership that bears the flat owner’s name.
b) Insist that the owner registers the subletting with HDB within seven days from the subletting date.
c) Seek service from a licensed estate agent or registered salesperson (also known as property agent).
Source : Channel NewsAsia – 2 Jun 2011