A text conversation between a man looking to rent a house in Delhi and a broker was shared on social media. During the interaction, the broker asked the man to pay ₹2,500 to get a ‘society visiting card’. And what is the purpose of this card? According to the broker, it is a refundable fee that the man will have to pay while going to see a potential house in a residential complex.
Reddit user @zenpraxis shared about this conversation and asked, “Is this a scam? House Hunting in Delhi.” He also posted a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation where he asked the broker if he could go and see the house. The broker gave him the details of the house and added, “Society visit karne ke liye society visiting card apply karana hoga [You will have to apply for society visiting card to visit the society].”
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The broker explained that the man would have to give his WhatsApp number, Aadhar card number, and mobile number for the card, along with a visiting fee of ₹2500.
“The visiting fee is ₹2500. If you like the flat, then your ₹2500 will be deducted from your rent amount. If you do not like the flat, your ₹2500 will be returned to you,” the broker added. The man wrapped up his post by asking Redditors to give him house-hunting tips.
Take a look at this entire conversation below:
{{/usCountry}}“The visiting fee is ₹2500. If you like the flat, then your ₹2500 will be deducted from your rent amount. If you do not like the flat, your ₹2500 will be returned to you,” the broker added. The man wrapped up his post by asking Redditors to give him house-hunting tips.
Take a look at this entire conversation below:
{{/usCountry}}The post was shared a few days ago. Since then it has accumulated over 1,000 upvotes. The post has further prompted people to share varied comments.
What did Reddit users say about this post?
“Yes, scam big time. Society visit ke liye card kyu chahiye? Mannat thodi hai [Why does someone need a society visiting card? Is it Mannat],” posted a Reddit user. “Thumb rule, anyone asking for money is a scam,” added another. “Common scam in Bangalore, now in Delhi!,” joined a third.
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“Anybody who says you pay X amount, it'll be returned to you, is scamming you,” shared a fourth. “Lol, obviously a scam. What's the point of collecting the visiting charge if they are just going to give it back? 99 Acres always keeps telling people to NOT pay any visit charge. It is a big-time scam. Do not pay,” wrote a fifth.