BANGKOK, Thailand – A woman has shared her experience of being scammed by fraudsters posing as the owner of a rental property in the Ratchada-Sutthisan area, warning others to beware of similar schemes.
The victim, who posted her story on Facebook, was searching for a rental property in the Ratchada-Sutthisan neighborhood. After contacting an individual claiming to be the property owner’s relative, she was convinced to pay a deposit and rent in advance, only to later discover that the house did not exist.
In her detailed post, the victim described how the scam unfolded:
- The individual, referred to as “Nong K,” contacted her with an offer for a rental property. The victim requested to view the house in person to ensure legitimacy, and the meeting seemed authentic. After agreeing to rent, “Nong K.” asked for a 30,000 THB deposit, with 5,000 THB due upfront. The victim transferred the 5,000 THB as requested.
- “Nong K.” then requested the remaining 25,000 THB for the security deposit. After negotiating a payment plan, the victim paid 12,500 THB at the time of signing the contract. Another 12,500 THB was paid at the end of the month. Additionally, the victim paid 1,600 THB for a curtain installation.
- Just one week before moving in, the scammer, pretending to be the owner, contacted the victim through a fabricated line account, demanding 5,000 THB for utility charges. The victim, frustrated but wanting to proceed with the move, paid the amount.
- A day before the move-in date, the scammer informed the victim that the owner was unavailable and could not grant access to the property. The victim insisted on proceeding but was instead told to contact the fake “owner.” Eventually, the scammer promised a refund within 5-7 days.
- When other victims began posting about similar experiences in online groups, the victim realized she was not alone. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that the “owner” had never been involved, and the scammer had been subletting the property while keeping the payments.
The scam involved the fraudster posing as the owner’s relative, showing potential tenants the property, collecting payments, and then creating fake reasons for delays or non-refunds when the tenant attempted to move in.
Several other victims had been tricked in the same way, and the scam was discovered after the true owner confirmed they had never authorized any rental agreements.
The victim urged others who had fallen for the scam to come forward and share their experiences, warning people to be cautious when renting properties and to verify ownership and agreements thoroughly.
