Beware of Rental Property Scams: Police Commissioner

Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: In his latest 'Cyber tip,' the City Police Commissioner spoke about Rental Property Scam which the cyber frauds have newly adopted to dupe gullible people of their money.

Explaining the modus operandi of the fraudsters involved in such scams, the Bengaluru police chief B Dayandanda said that the accused use popular online sites to advertise fake property details to trap victims.

Recently the city police had received several cases where people were duped of their money after they fell for fake advertisements displayed in sites such as OLX and Quikr.

Later the accounts were found to be fake. "The fraudsters, in order to attract people, offer luxurious properties at throwaway prices along with fake photos," the top cop said.

When customers call the shared contact numbers, the fraudsters pretending to be the owner of the properties, ask them for a small amount of registration fee as an advance booking. They convince their victims that the fee is a deposit which will be refunded back to them once they acquire the property.

In a few cases, they also claim that the fee is as per the rules of the housing society. "Typically, the miscreants ask for an amount between Rs 10,000 to 15,000 from the victim through online payment," the Police Commissioner said.

Following this, when the customer redials the number in order to visit and check the property in person, the fraudsters switch off their phones and go incommunicado.

Hundreds of people have reportedly lost thousands of rupees by falling into such traps, said Dayananda.

"The Bengaluru Police urge the citizens to avoid falling into any such offers and not to pay any amount before visiting the place and checking the property," he added.

The city police chief also advised the citizens to verify the information about the property from the neighbours and nearby residents before buying, renting or leasing any property. In case of suspicion, the citizens can visit the nearest police station and file a complaint.

"Cybercriminals continue to adopt new tactics to deceive people. Hence it is better to be alert and safe," the Bengaluru police chief added.