Renting a flat in Bengaluru proved expensive for techie, loses Rs 64000 to scammer posing as owner
Cybercrime surges in Karnataka as a Bengaluru tech professional loses Rs 64,000 in a rental property scam. Scammers create fake listings on popular platforms, targeting unsuspecting victims.
FollowCyber crimes have increased in the state with another recent crime coming to light where a tech professional in Bengaluru fell victim to a scam, losing Rs 64,000 while searching for a rental property online. The victim, a software engineer residing in IPB International Tech Park Bangalore in Whitefield, was targeted while seeking rental properties through popular property websites at Whitefield.Â
According to a report, the victim's test began on August 17 when she spotted attractive images of a property and contacted the provided phone number. A person identifying as Preetam, claiming to be the flat owner, responded and offered to rent out the property. Preetam informed the victim that his manager, Anupam Singh, would manage the rental process post-confirmation.
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Later, Singh contacted the victim and requested money for deposits and formalities. Upon trust, the victim complied and transferred the funds as requested. However, the situation went south when Singh made a second request for money, citing a technical glitch in the previous transaction. This raised suspicion for Techie, who questioned the second transaction. Singh disconnected the call abruptly.
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Realizing that it was a scam, the tech professional filed a complaint. This form of cyber fraud involves scammers creating counterfeit property listings that appear genuine on well-known online platforms. Unsuspecting individuals, assuming the legitimacy of the listings, make contact and ultimately become victims of the scam. To avoid falling prey to such fraudulent schemes.
Scammers always start to look legitimate while listing properties online. These listings are very similar on all the online platforms. People, who always depend upon online shopping and rental agreements, fall prey to such scams very easily.
