Rogue agent pulls off warehouse lease scam

A laundry and dry cleaning shop owner has become the latest victim in a string of real estate scams pulled off by smooth-talking rogues here.

Laxmi Narayan, who has been working in Dubai for 28 years, said he paid Dh21,166 on December 31 last year in cash to a certain Nasser posing as an agent of Greenwood Properties, based in Garhoud.

"I paid cash to the agent and got a receipt for it also, but before I knew it, the man was gone and his mobile is switched off."

Narayan saw an advert in a newspaper and contacted the company. Nasser called back and said he would pick him up to show the warehouse.

Narayan and his partners wanted a warehouse in the outskirts of the city to install washing machines for their laundry. This was due to municipal rules that require such a business to be out of the city.

After selecting the place, Nasser stalled renting out the premises to Narayan for many days saying the warehouse did not have water and electricity connection.

This went on for some time till Narayan asked for his money back in February. After many days of dilly-dallying, Nasser gave Narayan back two of his cheques amounting to Dh15,656 which he had deposited with Greenwood.

Nasser said a company cheque would be given later for the rest of the money. But when Narayan called the number for Greenwood, nobody picked up the phone there.

It was then that Narayan went to Rashidiya police station and filed a complaint last week.

Nasser apparently has disappeared and the real estate company says nothing can be done as Narayan's receipt is an obvious forgery and cannot form the basis for any legal action.

"I feel grossly cheated. Companies should make sure they hire responsible people," said Narayan. "How are we to know which individual we are dealing with as the company is registered?"

The agreed rent for the warehouse was Dh47,000 per year, to be paid in two cheques. Narayan's payment included a Dh2,000 security deposit, a Dh1,000 deposit for water and electricity and the agents' commission for Dh2,500.

Narayan said when he filed a police complaint, he also found out that there were at least six other complaints against the same man, who has a history of conning people by posing for the same real estate company.

The Al Quoz warehouse in question is still in final stages of construction. It was not clear how the rogue agent got information about the warehouse.

An official from Greenwood Properties, however, denied Nasser was a staff member of their company and said they do not rent out warehouses at all.