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 me. Since the current unit was still occupied and the tenant didn't want to be disturbed for another week, he sent me a video of the unit instead. To secure the place, he offered to reserve it with a security deposit equivalent to one month's rent, as well as one month's advance payment.

He provided me with all the necessary documents, including the tenancy agreement, proof of ownership, and his agent license. He also shared an account number for me to transfer the initial down payment. I transferred $3100 as the initial deposit, intending to pay the rest when we moved in.

However, the following day, he became uncontactable and refused to answer my calls. Worried, I personally checked the unit mentioned in the tenancy agreement he had provided, only to find that the person residing there had no knowledge of any rental agreement. Immediately realising the seriousness of the situation, I filed a police report.