Fraudster caught in sting operation attempting to sell house lot

A 30-year-old man was nabbed by Police during a sting operation on Tuesday, after he allegedly tried to commit fraud.
The man, Andre DeFreitas, of Cow Pen Street, Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD), allegedly attempted to collect $100,000 from someone to secure a house lot for them.
Based on information reaching this publication, DeFreitas claims to be the owner of Prime Investments and that he has a contact at the Housing and Water Ministry.
Reports are that just after 12:00h on Tuesday, a sting operation was set up along Regent Street, Georgetown, where the person approached DeFreitas and gave him the money for a house lot.
Guyana Times understands that $100,000 in marked money was given to DeFreitas to secure house lots.
Shortly after, the Police swooped in on him and he was arrested. He is in custody at the Brickdam Police Station, assisting with the investigation.
Just recently, Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal had urged Guyanese not to fall prey to fraudsters who promise to get them a house lot.
Croal had maintained that only the Ministry’s Central Housing and Planning Authority are authorised to carry out such transactions.
“We are also aware that those persons will ask you to pay them to help you get the lot. I want to say this, you do not have to pay anyone to get a house lot,” Minister Croal said.
He said that applications and interviews are done at the regional offices located at Vreed-en-Hoop RDC Compound Region Three; Anna Regina RDC Compound, Region Two; Fort Wellington RDC Compound, Region Five 5; New Amsterdam RDC Compound, Region Six; Lethem, Region Nine, and Linden, Region 10.
This warning came on the heels of persons being asked to send money to an MMG account which is falsely being linked to the Office of the First Lady, Arya Ali, under the pretext of payment for a house lot.
As such, the Minister urged persons to report these unscrupulous characters to the Ministry. (G9)