'He always said yes to our requests': Couple loses $7,000 after getting duped by 'property agent'

A couple seeking to rent an apartment believed they had done their due diligence to avoid a scam but they still fell victim to one.

After verifying their property agent's licence and meeting his assistant for house viewings, a woman and her husband found themselves waiting for their keys alongside two other couples on Monday (Sept 16), all of whom had signed leases for the same unit.

Their agent has since remained uncontactable, said the woman who only wanted to be known as JM.

In an interview with AsiaOne on Wednesday, JM, a fitness instructor in her 30s, shared that she and her husband saw a condo unit at Paya Lebar Road listed for rent on Facebook Marketplace.

After getting in touch with the agent, they were introduced to his "personal assistant", and had only met her during the two house viewings.

For JM, who has been renting for 12 years, this is not an unusual move as she and her husband have encountered similar arrangements in the past.

"The property agent and his assistant appeared genuine," added the Singapore permanent resident. "Whenever we requested something, they would quickly get back to us and it's always a yes."

JM has since lodged a police report, but she is resigned to losing the $7,200 deposit she had paid.

She added that another couple who had also signed a lease for the same unit lost at least $5,000.

JM's housing woes had a silver lining — her landlord has extended the lease of her current home from the end of September to the end of October.

"I've met many genuine people on Facebook Marketplace, it's just that this particular scam was very meticulously planned," said JM, adding that she and her husband would insist on meeting the property agent in person to sign the contract in the future.

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Scams involving impersonation of property agents

According to a police news release in February, at least 389 victims fell prey to rental scams involving fake property agents and their "personal assistants" between July 2023 and January 2024.

The total losses amounted to at least $2.4million.

The police advised members of the public to not rely on Facebook or Carousell listings, or the assurances of the scammer over WhatsApp.

Potential tenants should also check whether the phone number in the listings belongs to a property agent registered with the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) by searching the advertised phone number on the CEA public register.

If the search does not lead to a CEA-registered property agent's profile page, it means that the phone number is not registered with CEA and is likely a scam, even if the property agent's name and registration number can be found in the register.

The police also advised members of the public to contact the property agent's agency from trusted sources, such as the CEA register or the agency's website, and not the number given on the Facebook or Carousell listing.

Property agents are also not allowed to demand payments to view the premises, and rental deposits must be paid to the landlord's bank accounts, not the bank accounts or PayNow numbers of "personal assistants", the police said.

ALSO READ: Couple gets duped by property agent even after viewing Newton apartment twice

chingshijie@asiaone.com

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