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3 Steps to Prevent Rental Scams

Posted by Jayson Ang on January 23, 2024

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TLDR: Prevent Rental Scams in Real Estate

Scammers are targeting prospective tenants by impersonating Real Estate Salespersons (RES) to deceive victims into making payments for deposits. To avoid falling victim to such scams, consumers should follow three crucial steps:

Verify CEA Registration: Ensure that the RES’s CEA registration matches the CEA’s registry.

Check Contact Details: Confirm that the RES’s contact number is registered with CEA.

Direct Communication: Verify that the RES can be reached via a call using the registered contact number.

By following these steps, consumers can protect themselves from rental scams in the real estate market. Additionally, resources such as videos and CEA webpages provide further guidance on avoiding such fraudulent activities.

Scammers have targeted prospective tenants, and have impersonated Real Estate Salespersons (“RES”) to request for payments of deposits to secure a viewing or secure a lease via a tenancy agreement, and forwarding tenancy agreement to be signed or e-signed by the unsuspecting victim.

To do the above, scammers impersonate RES with existing and valid Council for Estate Agents (“CEA”) Registration number, and with valid listings on property portals. Scammers will also use the RES’s profile picture and display the RES’s phone number in WhatsApps and/or other communication mode.

It is therefore important for consumers to follow the 3 steps below:

STEP 1: ENSURE the CEA registration of the RES tallies with CEA’s Registry;
STEP 2: ENSURE the contact number of the RES is registered with CEA; and
STEP 3: ENSURE the RES can be contacted via call using the contact number registered with CEA.

You can also watch and share this short video https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1290133575173534 which contains the 3 simple steps.

Arising from the recent spate of scams involving fake property listings and impersonation of RES, CEA,
together with the Singapore Police Force (“SPF”), have reached out to PropNex to do more for our PropNexians and consumers.

You can visit this CEA webpage at https://www.cea.gov.sg/consumers/rental-scams and Facebook which contain information on how to avoid falling victim to such scams.

Please share this message with your friends and families, in order for them to share with others.

Should You Buy, Sell or Wait?

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It’s difficult to give an exact answer since everyone’s situation is unique and what works for one person may not necessarily work for you.

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