KOTA KINABALU: A house rental agent was arrested by police here for allegedly cheating a government servant of RM1,500 that was meant to be a deposit for the home-for-rent the suspect had advertised over social media.
The 39-year-old woman suspect had accepted the money from the victim and promised the 33-year-old man and his family they could move into the house at Beverly Hills in Bundusan, Penampang near here last Sept 17.
Kota Kinabalu OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Zaidi Abdullah said the victim had earlier come across the advertisement in the suspect’s Facebook page in August.
He said the victim then met up with the suspect at Kepayan Ridge here, where he made the deposit cash payment of RM1,500 to the woman.
“The suspect promised he could move in with his family on Sept 17, but when he asked for the address from her to visit the house, she kept giving excuses before, finally, she could not be contacted anymore,” he said when contacted on Wednesday (Oct 5).
Suspecting he had been conned, the man then lodged a report.
ACP Mohd Zaidi said police picked up the suspect at 8.30am on Tuesday (Oct 4) here.
“From our interrogations, the woman admitted to advertising the rented house in Facebook to the man.
“She also confessed that she had taken the RM1,500 for her own use,” he said, adding police were expecting more victims to come forward to lodge their reports involving the suspect.
He added the case was being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which carries a maximum 10 years jail sentence and whipping, as well as a fine on conviction.
Towards this end, ACP Mohd Zaidi advised the public especially students in institutions of higher learning to be wary of house-for-rent advertisements, adding they should ensure the houses exist first before making any payment.
Source: The Star
