Man who allegedly duped victims of more than $30k in series of rental scams arrested

A 34-year-old man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in a series of flat rental scams.

The police said in a statement on Monday (June 12) that they have received at least 28 reports of flat rental scams along Yung Kuang Road since August 2022.

The man had contacted victims who expressed their interest to rent either bedrooms or whole housing units via different social media platforms.

After receiving payments for the deposits, the man would give different excuses to breach the agreements and thereafter failed to refund the victims as promised.

The man was identified and arrested on Apr 5.

Preliminary investigations revealed that he is also involved in another case of visa application scam.

In May, Shin Min Daily News reported that the man had allegedly duped victims of more than $30,000 in exchange for renting a flat in Jurong.

He will be charged in court on Tuesday (June 13) with the offence of cheating.

The offence carries a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

The police remind members of the public to be wary of such scams and to adopt the following precautionary measures to avoid falling prey to rental scams:

1. Do not make any advance payment until the tenancy is confirmed, and pay the rental deposit and rents by cheque or via bank transfer for documentary proof;

2. Visit the housing unit which you intend to rent to confirm its existence, the unit’s condition and potential signs of multiple subletting; and

3. Verify the identities of the person/s whom you are dealing with and their relationship to the housing unit, especially when you are not engaging the services of a licensed estate agent or registered salespersons.