Police caution public against accommodation fraudsters

The Greater Accra Regional Police is cautioning the public against suspicious accommodation fraudsters in the estate industry.

They have, thus, advised prospective tenants to do due diligence and conduct thorough checks on interested apartments before committing themselves financially.

They also want prospective tenants to further demand for photographs and other national identification documents during payments to aid the Police investigation such frauds when they occur.

In a statement signed by the Head, Public Affairs Unit, Greater Accra Region, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Effia Tenge, and released on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, the men and women in black uniform said the influx and continuous activities of some accommodation rental fraudsters in the system is worrying, urging the public to be extra careful against such schemes.

“This type of fraud usually targets prospective tenants, mostly those in desperate need of accommodation; and it is usually perpetrated by two or more suspects, one of whom poses as the landlord and the other accomplice (s) as estate agent(s). The supposed landlord is always met in the said apartment upon several visits by the prospective tenant and the agent. After a successful agreement is reached between the two parties and payments, the syndicate absconds, leaving the tenant in limbo”, she explained.

The Police worried about this phenomenon, says anyone with information on suspicious accommodation fraudsters should kindly report to the nearest Police Station.