Don’t Pay to View: Avoid Advance-Fee Rental Scams in Singapore

Scammers know renters are stressed, busy, and worried about missing out. That’s why advance-fee traps work. The pitch is simple: “Pay a viewing fee,” “pay a booking fee,” or a deposit before viewing. The goal is your money, not a lease. This guide shows how these scams appear in Singapore, what a safe process looks like, and the exact checks to run before you transfer a single dollar.

What “advance-fee” scams look like

• Pay-to-view or pay-to-reserve. You’re asked for a “viewing fee,” “booking fee,” or a deposit before viewing. Legitimate agents and landlords do not require upfront payment just to view or “hold” a place. ^{1 2}
• Agent impersonation. A scammer claims to be an agent, or sends a “colleague/PA” to the viewing, then pushes you to PayNow afterward. Police advisories have flagged this pattern. ³
• FOMO pressure. “There are five other viewers,” “transfer in the next 10 minutes.” Urgency and fear are core tactics that community threads frequently highlight.
• Too-good price + vague address. Well below market rent, no full address until you pay, or evasive answers about ownership or MCST rules.
• Off-platform payments. They ask you to send to a personal wallet or foreign account, refuse escrow, and avoid standard paperwork.

The scale is real. Police and local media have reported large losses tied to agent-impersonation rental scams in recent periods. ^{4 5}

A safe renting sequence

1. View first, pay later. No legitimate party needs money to schedule or attend a viewing. ^{1 2}
2. Verify identity and role.
   • If someone claims to be an agent, search the CEA Public Register. The name, registration number, and estate agency should match.
   • If someone says they are the agent’s assistant, insist on a quick call with the named agent at the agency’s official contact before you proceed. The Police have flagged stand-in impersonators. ³
3. Confirm the property and the right to rent.
   • For private property, ask for evidence of ownership (e.g., a recent property-related bill with the owner’s name). When in doubt, run a Property Ownership Information search via SLA’s INLIS to check the registered owner. ^{6 7}
   • For HDB rooms/flats, make sure the owner meets HDB’s rules. HDB requires a minimum 6-month tenancy and restricts who can rent out flats or bedrooms. ^{8 9 10 11}
4. Paperwork before payment.
   • When you’re ready, use a Letter of Intent (LOI) with named landlord, full unit address, rent, start date, and good-faith deposit terms that are refundable if key conditions fail (for example, the landlord cannot legally rent the unit).
   • The security deposit is usually collected with the Tenancy Agreement (TA), not for viewing.
5. Pay only to the right counterparty, with a trace.
   • Transfer only to the verified landlord (matching INLIS/HDB records) or to the estate agency’s firm account. Avoid personal wallets or mismatched names.

Red flags and safer responses

Verification toolkit

• INLIS ownership search (SLA): verify private-property ownership (paid record). ^{6 7}
• CEA rental-scam advisory: what not to do and how to report. ¹
• CEA consumer blog tips: reiterates “you do not need to pay to view,” and to pay the property owner via traceable methods. ²
• Police advisories on agent impersonation: shows current scam playbooks. ³
• HDB official rules: eligibility, minimum 6-month tenancy, and other conditions for renting out flats or bedrooms, as well as tenant eligibility. ^{8 9 10 11}

How to structure payments safely

• Viewing: $0.
• LOI (optional but common): a good-faith deposit paid only after you have viewed, verified the owner or agent, and agreed to clear written refund/forfeit conditions. Keep it small and specific.
• Security deposit: typically about one month’s rent per year of lease (often capped at two months for a two-year lease). Pay with or after TA signing, not before viewing.
• No cash hand-offs in corridors. Use bank transfers that show the payee’s name and reference the unit address.

If you’ve already paid

1. Stop further transfers immediately.
2. Collect evidence: chats, numbers, payment receipts, listing screenshots, names used, and any IDs presented.
3. Report to the Police with all evidence; impersonation and deposit fraud are active enforcement areas. ³
4. Alert the platform where you found the listing to protect other renters.
5. Inform your bank quickly. Fast action sometimes helps.

Mindset that keeps you safe

• No home is so perfect you cannot verify it. If someone objects to basic checks, that is your answer.
• Process beats pressure. Keep the sequence: view → verify → paper → pay.
• Names must line up. Owner name on INLIS/HDB matches the payee; agent name and registration match the CEA register.
• You can always walk away. Another listing will come. Your deposit is harder to replace.

Footnotes