House hunting scams preying on desperate Nakuru residents

The rise of real estate development in Nakuru has come with an equivalent rise of scammers taking advantage of a people’s desire to live in aesthetically pleasing homes.

Aggrey Omolo a victim of a house hunting scam tells Mtaa Wangu that he never saw it coming.

He was scammed off Sh 12,000 while trying to get a house in White house area in Nakuru.

His woes started when he saw a ‘house to let' poster pinned on an electricity post and contacted the person.

Up to this point, his efforts to secure a house had borne no fruits.

“I called the contact and a gentleman on the other end told me he has a vacant house. I sighed with relief, as I knew I was closing the chapter of house hunting."

The man further sent Omolo the house photos and dropped a location pin through WhatsApp.

“All along we maintained conversation and that built trust. He then asked me to pay for the house deposit and rent which summed up to Sh 12,000 which I sent to him,” he says before letting out a long sigh.

Unknown to him, the man on the call was a scammer.

He notes that the guy suggested they meet at the location so that he can see the house.

“We agreed to meet at the house so that I could see it. On arriving, the apartment's gate was locked and the guy never showed up eventually,” he recalls.

It was at that moment that he realized he was scammed and the man had capitalized on his need and urgency to secure a place.

It has now emerged that scammers have turned to social media platforms, posting enticing house photos that lure you into their trap.

The houses usually boast of a great interior, affordable rent, plenty of water, tight security and ample parking.

A brief search by Mtaa Wangu established that some of the houses are reposted by different people in different locations.

We came across one house post indicating that the house is in Naka, Nakuru while the next post placed the house in Kitengela.

The same exact house.

Upon making calls to the numbers on the online posts, both individuals assured me of the availability of the house.

When I asked to visit the house before making payments, they became evasive and ultimately stopped picking calls and replying messages.

Mark Karasinga from MLD Realtors advises that one should house hunt through a registered realtor agency to avoid cases of being scammed.

"Never pay for a house you have not checked out. Also consider signing a contract with the agency managing the house before paying any money," he advices.