Durrant Pate/Contributor

Jamaicans living overseas, eyeing prospects to buy or rent houses on the island are being targeted by scammers, according to Claudia Allen, director of real estate dealers and developers at the Real Estate Board.

As such, she is cautioning such persons when buying or renting in Jamaica, as scammers have up the ante in seeking to exploit them as they infiltrate the real estate market through Internet channels. Allen is encouraging unsuspecting buyers and renters of houses and apartments in Jamaica to do their due diligence before paying for anything noting that scammers have been misleading them into sending money via bank transfer by posting phony ads on internet hubs about houses being sold or rented.

Allen, who is a trained fraud investigator explains that fraud postings include photos of actual local apartments that have been stolen from authentic listings or no images displayed. Instead, buyers are asked to contact businesses via WhatsApp or telephone for additional details.

Increasingly worried about AI

She is increasingly worried about how technologies have advanced artificial information, which is being exploited to facilitate these types of fraud adding, “It might seem legitimate but when you dig a little deeper it is sending you somewhere else to collect your information.” Allen admits that the problem has grown to the extent that her staff sent a fraud alert after learning about such a case. 

In going into details on this case in an interview with Caribbeanlife.com, Allen explained, “One person actually copied (a relator’s) license number, which is the extent that they go to. We found there was a female, and she had a real estate salesperson number, and the telephone number was [from] overseas. When you proceed with that number, it asks you to submit unrelated information. It is going to another extent, which is not real estate business…in any way, shape or form.” 

She emphasises that granting access to information on a property should not require disclosing personal information and that there should be no finder’s fee in terms of a downpayment to look at a house.

“That is a no-no,” she remarked.

The Real Estate Board executive stresses that asking for a listing in exchange for a one- or two-week subscription fee is also an improper procedure. The Jamaica Classifieds apps offer a report feature for questionable activity and caution potential buyers/tenants against sending any money to people posing as realtors or landlords before viewing a property. 

Notices will be listed if a property has violated the app’s guidelines. Allen concedes that the lack of real estate understanding adds to the problem commenting that public education on real estate should become a driving force for public awareness.