Police remind public to beware of car rental scams
The police yesterday reminded the public to beware of possible car rental scams during the coming Hari Raya festive period.
Victims usually pay a deposit for rental vehicles after responding to advertisements.
Scammers have even been known to use a temporary office for added credibility.
However, the vehicles would not be delivered to the victims, and the scammers would become uncontactable.
Last year, the police received at least 83 reports of car rental scams worth about $19,600.
The police advised adopting crime prevention measures including being wary of advertisements with generic photos, renting vehicles from reputable companies and requesting to see the vehicles and their log cards to verify the ownership.
They also advised checking with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority to confirm the car rental business is a registered one and to insist on documentation details which they should keep a copy of.
To seek scam-related advice, call the anti-scam helpline on 1800-722-6688 or go to www.scamalert.sg. - JOHN TAN
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