The Ministry of Housing has uncovered a group of fraudsters who have so far bilked $1M from an overseas-based Guyanese while posing as officials of the ministry.
According to a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA), Housing and Water Minister, Irfaan Ali yesterday told the media that the ministry has successfully infiltrated the group. “They are taking transports and whiteout the original owners and information and they put the victim’s name in the transport, photo-copy it and issue it as a transport…it is sad that persons within our society are still not heeding the ministry’s call to avoid themselves from being caught –up in these circumstances,” Ali stated.
He said that so far the ministry knows of two persons who fell prey to the scam, including the overseas-based Guyanese.
According to GINA, Ali said, ”one of the suspects’ names was given as Bradley, whilst the other was described as a person with plait hair…we are asking members of the public to be vigilant and to desist from encouraging these fraudsters by participating in these fraudulent schemes,” Ali said.
He said too that earlier this year , the ministry infiltrated a group of persons operating out of Eccles on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD). According to GINA, the group was tampering with housing documents, titles and transports in an effort to defraud persons.
“A number of persons were defrauded by that group …the group was arrested and the matter is before the courts,” Ali said.