A WOMAN surnamed Chen was reportedly swindled out of 85,000 yuan (US$13,022) in a housing scam related to school placement.

In April this year, Chen found a real estate agent named Ah Dong to help rent an apartment available within the district of a well-known primary school for her daughter, according to Shenzhen Special Zone Daily.

However, Chen didn’t make a deal with Ah Dong due to soaring housing prices.

Half a month later, Ah Dong was contacted by a female stranger, who is also one of the defendants, claiming that she was helping her relative to lease an apartment that is districted for enrollment at a primary school that Chen wants.

The defendant also told Ah Dong that the interested tenant had to pay 85,000 yuan to lock in a position at the school.

After hearing this, Chen immediately made an appointment with Ah Dong to sign a contract the next day.

On the signing day, the so-called property owner and the female stranger didn’t show up. Instead, a man called Li Lei was entrusted to come for the signing session.

Chen paid Li 85,000 yuan in cash. After the payment, Chen was a bit worried and went to the address shown on the contract. This was when Chen realized that she had been cheated and made a report to the police.

According to the investigation conducted by the police, the whole scam was masterminded by a defendant surnamed Zhang, who learnt from another real estate agent surnamed Huang that Ah Dong was seeking a rental apartment with a school seat for a client.

Zhang then passed herself off as a relative of an apartment and contacted Ah Dong.

Zhang also found another defendant surnamed Xiao to make a fake property certificate for the apartment.

In order to avoid a meeting with Chen, Zhang asked a restaurant attendant surnamed Tang to pretend to be Li to show up for the contract signing.

It is reported that Zhang paid Tang and Huang 2,900 yuan and 28,000 yuan, respectively, after the deal.  (Wang Jingli)