Major house lot scam unearthed- Housing Ministry

Last Updated on Monday, 8 September 2014, 20:38 by GxMedia

A probe was Monday underway into a major scam involving individuals who have collected monies in exchange for promises to fast-track and deliver house lots, the Housing Ministry said in a statement.

Conducting the probe are the Ministry of Housing and Water, Central Housing and Planning Authority and the Guyana Police Force.

“The scam saw persons alleging that they are relatives and associates of Housing personnel, including the Minister of Housing and Water. Some even operated as Housing staff, taking people to various Housing areas and identifying plots of land that are vacant,” the ministry added.

The scam was unearthed after various players in the scam could not deliver on this promise and moreover, various persons who have been defrauded, have since responded to the Ministry’s recent Public Notice.

Despite numerous warnings by the Ministry against entering into these transactions, persons continue to fall prey to this disease.

The Ministry says it is adopting a no-nonsense approach in dealing with these fraudsters and impersonators. According to the Housing Ministry, the public has a responsibility of safeguarding themselves. It is important to note, that some of the parties to this scam are recent applicants who are lured to the promise of expediting the processing of their land application.

The Ministry encouraged persons to go in and report any instance in which individuals or a group has collected monies from them in an effort to “expedite” or “deliver” any service provided by the Ministry.