Latest Scam Alerts
Rental Deception
2018-02-22
It has come to the Police’s attention where swindlers pretended to be landlords, posted advertisements on rental websites and lured victims to contact via e-mail. They would then make use of fraudulent rental websites to lure victims to deposit payment and steal their credit card information. Please stay alert.
Modus Operandi
Swindlers, pretending to be landlords, posted advertisements on rental websites and lured victims to contact via e-mail. Swindlers would claim that they were out of town and unable to allow inspection on the flat. Then, swindlers would provide a bogus website and asked victims to make advanced payment with credit card. By doing so, swindlers could steal credit card information to make illicit transactions. As victims failed to complete transaction on the bogus website, swindlers would further demand them to make bank transfer before delivery of room keys and rental agreement. Victims would later find that no transaction had been made upon contacting the official rental website.
Our Advice
- Before paying the rent, inspect the flat and sign the rental agreement in the presence of the landlord.
- Beware of fraudulent websites. Domain names of fraudulent websites are often similar to those of official websites. Please verify carefully.
- If in doubt, call the Anti-scam Helpline 18222 immediately.
