PROPERTY AGENT ASK FOR $500 VIEWING FEE TURNS OUT TO BE A SCAMMER

With the number of ongoing scams that have been going around, one would always have to be careful with our money, login credentials and other banking information.

A netizen recently posted online after he was told to pay a deposit in order to view a property by a property agent he contacted via social media.

Here is what he said:

He claims to be a property agent and was asking for a $500 deposit for booking/reservation an appointment for viewing the property for RENTAL (261c Punggol Way)

I also noticed someone was trying to alert other people in the Facebook groups about this scammer.

There is no need to pay an agent to secure a viewing appointment. Please verify the agent’s contact details by checking the advertised number against the Real Estate Council’s registry (search under “Salesperson”). If the search does not lead to a property agent’s profile page, it means that the phone number is not registered with CEA by any property agent, and could be an indication that the advertisement is a scam.

It is always encouraging to check the property agent’s details in the property listing against the CEA Public Register to verify that the property agent is registered with CEA. You can do so by searching for the property agent on the CEA Public Register using the advertised phone number. 

Scams

This kind of scams were common in the United Kingdom and victims are typically told to pay money to secure a viewing appointment.

This kind of scam are uncommon in Singapore but it exists. Take note and warn your friends and families.