A 28-year-old woman accused of defrauding multiple victims out of millions of dollars by falsely promising them house lots, has been arrested. Areefa Paul, of Lot 721 Plantation Best, West Coast Demerara (WCD), was taken into custody on Thursday, after she was spotted at the Ministry of Housing by one of her alleged victims.
Woman arrested in house lots scam
According to police reports, Paul tricked three individuals into giving her a total of $4.8 million, claiming that she was employed at the Ministry of Housing and could help them secure house lots.
The victims first made contact with Paul on Facebook, after which she met them in person and convinced them to hand over large sums of money for house lots at various locations on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).
One of the victims, a 33-year-old hairdresser from Non Pareil, ECD, allegedly paid Paul $1.6 million between November and December 2024, believing she was securing a house lot at Montrose, ECD. Another victim, a 23-year-old woman from Sophia, reportedly paid $600,000 on July 18, 2024, after being promised a house lot in the Young Professional Scheme at Le Ressouvenir, ECD.
The third victim, a 49-year-old goldsmith from Sophia, Greater Georgetown, allegedly handed over $2.6 million between January and September 2024 for a house lot at Le Ressouvenir, ECD.
The scam came to light when the victims realised they had not received the house lots they were promised. On Thursday, one of them saw Paul at the Ministry of Housing and immediately alerted Enforcement Investigation Officer Hansel Elliot, who arrested her on the spot and took her to the police station.
Paul remains in custody as police continue their investigations.
