If you even pretend to make a fortune, be careful! A "fake rental" scam broke out on Kenting Street, and payment turned out to be an illegal stall

The location designated by the fraud group to set up a stall was actually the entrance to an elementary school on Kenting Street where stalls are strictly prohibited. (Photo by reporter Cai Zongxian)

The October holidays are coming one after another, and Kenting Street in Pingtung is welcoming the long-awaited crowds. The stalls are crowded and the business opportunities are endless. It also attracts many vendors from other counties and cities who are eager to cross the sea to the Hengchun Peninsula to "dig for gold". Unexpectedly, some criminals took advantage of stall vendors' eagerness to grab seats and launched a "stall rental scam" to trick unsuspecting vendors into remitting money. It was not until the vendors happily showed up to set up their stalls that the management committee inspected them that they were surprised to have fallen into a fraud trap. In addition to reporting the case, the Kenting Main Street Management Committee also called on the public to pay attention to this type of fraud.

It is understood that some fraudsters used Facebook groups and messaging software Line groups to publish false rental information, claiming to own a prime location on Kenting Street, and soliciting vendors with a daily rent of 1,800 yuan. Unexpectedly, the designated stall location was actually in front of an elementary school on Kenting Street where stalls are strictly prohibited. Some stall traders from other places believed that they had actually remitted the money and happily came to prepare materials to set up their stalls. However, they were inspected and stopped by the Kenting Main Street Management Committee on the spot. Only then did they realize that the stalls they had rented were actually illegal stalls. They were dumbfounded on the spot.

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The Kenting Main Street Management Committee pointed out that this kind of "fake stall, real money fraud" method of taking advantage of fake business opportunities will quietly appear almost every time on the eve of consecutive holidays. The Administrative Committee specifically calls on anyone who intends to set up stalls in Kenting Street to do business. They must first consult with the Kenting Main Street Administrative Committee in person about the legal stall specifications and application procedures, and do not trust unknown information on the Internet. If you encounter suspicious rental behavior, you should seek confirmation or report the case to the police as soon as possible to avoid damage to property and accidentally stepping into the law.

In response to this fraud incident, the Hengchun Police Station stated that although the victim stall did not immediately take the initiative to report the case because he was frustrated and thought he was unlucky, the Kenting Main Street Management Committee has taken the initiative to report the case to the police. The police have set up a task force and are following the lines to investigate the fraud group and the flow of funds behind the scenes. The police also once again reminded the general public and businesses not to remit money or handle important financial services based solely on community posts or unknown Line group messages. If you have any doubts, you should make good use of the 165 anti-fraud hotline or check with the local police agency to jointly maintain the order of the business district and the safety of your own property.

Kenting Street in Pingtung is constantly packed with people. The stalls are crowded and the business opportunities are endless. (Photo by reporter Cai Zongxian)