SINGAPORE – A 56-year-old woman was indicted in court on Saturday (27 August) after she was allegedly involved in a series of rental scams in which victims lost more than $35,000.
Geetha Priya Ravi, who faces one count of fraud, is accused of tricking his victims into thinking he had rooms available for rent in order to roll out a rental deposit.
According to the indictment, she tricked the man into transferring $2,700 in exchange for renting an apartment in Jurong West Central 3.
On Friday, police said they had received multiple reports from victims who responded to Carousel’s rental property listings in March and April of this year.
After seeing the unit they were told to pay a security deposit. After receiving the money, the woman allegedly lost contact.
Officers from the Woodlands Police Department confirmed her identity and arrested her on Friday.
Police said: “Preliminary investigations have revealed that she is believed to have been involved in at least 20 similar rental scams, resulting in losses of more than $35,000.”
If convicted, Geetha could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine for each wrongdoing.
At least 997 people here have lost $3.9 million to scammers posing as real estate agents since January, according to police.
They urged the public to verify the details and contact numbers of the realtors they deal with.
“Ask the owner to visit the unit and see if there are rental offers,” police added.
For more information on fraud, call our anti-fraud hotline at 1800-722-6688. If you have information about fraud, please call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or visit this website.
