Home/Room Rental Scam

Home/Room Rental Scam

Don't get cheated on rental deals

WHAT IS A HOME/ROOM RENTAL SCAM?

There are three versions of this scam. In one, you’re offered a room or house for rent and come under pressure to pay the rent in advance. In reality the scammers are not authorised to rent out the property or the property may not even exist.

In another variation, the scammers pretend to be interested in renting a property you own. They claim to have made payment for the deposit, after which you receive fake emails from PayPal asking for a fee before the payment can be released to you. The scammers may even ask you to help pay their movers' fees.

In a third, scammers may put up fake property listings online and and contact victims through WhatsApp pretending to be property agents. The scammers then ask the victims for deposits in order to secure appointments to view the properties. Victims will realise that they have been scammed after the scammers cease contact with them.

Look out for these scam signs

How to stay safe

Ask to visit the property to verify that it exists.
Ensure the person you're dealing with is the rightful owner or an accredited real estate agent.

You can check a real estate agent's details and if they are licensed by entering their phone number here: https://www.cea.gov.sg/aceas/public-register/sales/1
This will help you discover if the listing is a well-known scam.
Payments should be made directly to the property owner.
Always read the contents of an email and check the sender's email address to ensure it's from a trusted source.
Never pay to view a property.

Home/Room Rental Scam: Real Stories

01 Jun 2023 | Home/Room Rental Scam

Beware of Home Rental scams!

My family and I were searching for a new house to rent, and I came across a posting on Carousel. Without hesitation, I reached out to the person via WhatsApp to express interest, and he promptly called…...

21 May 2023 | Home/Room Rental Scam

Always check the CEA website to ensure that you are dealing with a legit real estate agent

I came across a listing on Carousell for a rental unit posted by a Carousell account named Keaen Lim (@K3A3NL1M-82601). After inquiring about the availability of the unit, I received a call from an agent.…...

11 Apr 2023 | Home/Room Rental Scam

We were told to pay $9,000 to view the unit

An Indian scammer impersonated Propnex agent Andy Ang and advertised on Carousell with the username Swetha's குடில்@ilavarasid41347 and email andy-ang@propnexrea??-sg.com . We transferred 9000 SGD before…...

GET SCAM-RELATED ADVICE: CALL 1800-722-6688 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, excl. PH)
GET SCAM-RELATED ADVICE:
CALL 1800-722-6688
(Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, excl. PH)
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