A house is more than a mere building where you sleep and store your worldly possessions. It is your home. A place where you create memories with friends and family.
Therefore, buying a home is one of the biggest investments a person can make in their lives. However, there are those who take advantage of people who intend to buy a house for themselves and their families.
This follows KwaZulu-Natal Police issuing a stern warning to would-be homebuyers, following a trend involving scams around houses.
According to Newcastle SAPS spokesperson, Captain Jabulani Ncube, the scam is being run by criminals in Phoenix and surrounding areas.
“Allegedly, the criminals advertise houses for sale in local newspapers at bargain prices to attract people who are desperate to own homes,” he says.
Providing contact details in the adverts for people to phone, Captain Ncube explains the scam artists will go as far as arranging for the potential buyers to view the house with the homeowners. However, the “homeowners” are individuals who are part of the scam.
The unsuspecting buyer is then instructed to sign an offer to purchase the house, a house which is not actually for sale.
“The banking details of a fake attorney would be provided for the purchaser to make a deposit. They may even be instructed to pay the full purchase price of the house into the account.”
Once the payment is made, the scam artists make their escape. Dashing the would-be homeowner’s dreams, while making off with a substantial amount of money.
According to Captain Ncube, the Provincial Commercial Crime Investigation Unit is currently investigating 70 cases of fraud relating to this specific trend.
Captain Ncube encourages anyone who is a victim of a similar crime, or who knows anyone who operates with the same modus operandi, to contact the investigating officers, Captain Singh on 082 458 5873 or Warrant Officer Ramdass on 083 735 5031.
