Junk Mail Blog » Safety & Security » Property Scam Warning

Property Scam Warning

Posted on: February 22nd, 2010 by Henno Kruger No Comments

Be very careful if you are looking for a property to rent. This scam has stuck out its ugly head in recent weeks. We take this very seriously at Junk Mail and we thought it best to warn our users about this scam. Remember, when a deal seems to be too good to be true, it usually is not true. Be Savvy! Be Smart! Be Safe!

The scam works as follows:

The scamsters use confirmed affidavits from the SAPS and claim that they are the rightful owners of a property that they are advertising to rent.
They use properties listed on agency’s adverts in our print edition.
The scamsters sublet the same property to different people and run away with the deposit fees.
They even have duplicate keys for the properties.
To attract attention the scamsters place an advert for the property at about R500 – R700 below market value for a property in the area that they are targetting.
In some cases the scamster knocks on tenant’s doors and claim that they’re the owner of the flat they’re staying in and that they should move and provide them with their keys.
The fake “contract” (is some cases from CNA) is sometimes accompanied with a ID copy. The ID is either a fake or the ID of a deceased person.
The scamsters provide banking details and once the money is deposited they withdraw it immediately.
The scamsters only use the cell phone numbers for the scam for 24 hours (after they’ve made enough money).

If you have been a victim of this scam please contact us and provide us with an account of your experience. Include phone numbers and e-mail addresses of the persons involved. Check out the following links for more information about scams: