Woman Held In Land Lot Sale Fraud Probe

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Police arrested a woman in Gombak, Selangor, yesterday for allegedly cheating a 59-year-old pensioner in the sale of a plot of land resulting in a loss of RM60,400.

Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said the arrest of the woman in her 40s was made following a police report lodged by the victim on Aug 4.

According to Ramli, the pensioner claimed to have signed a 1.62-hectare land Sale and Purchase Agreement based on the power-of-attorney given to the suspect by the original owner of the land on Nov 5, 2021.

“The victim was informed by the suspect in the application process that the land would be divided into 92 individual lots. However, after the payment was made, no development was carried out on the land, including (no) division of lots,” he said in a press conference at Menara KPJ today.

He said the victim also met with one of the original owners of the land who informed him that he did not receive any payment from the suspect for the purpose of purchasing the land.

“Until now, the ownership of the land still remains in the name of the original owner. The suspect is now remanded for three days until Aug 14. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code (for cheating),” he said.

Meanwhile, Ramli said that following the latest case, the total number of police reports related to fraud in the sale of lots around Selangor involving women since 2016 is 15 cases involving a loss of RM547,650.

He said the modus operandi used by the suspects is to sign a Sale and Purchase Agreement with the original owner of the land supposedly to buy the land and then advertise the resale of the land in fractional lots.

“To convince the victims, the suspect will show the land purchase document or claim that she (or he) has obtained a power-of-attorney from the original owner of the land...the victims will (then be convinced) make a payment to buy the offered land lot,” he said.

Ramli said out of 15 police reports regarding the fraudulent sale of land lots, the suspect has been accused in four cases and the trials are still ongoing in court.

-- BERNAMA