A 28-year-old woman, Areefa Paul, has been arrested on charges of obtaining money by false pretence after allegedly deceiving three victims with promises of house lots.
Paul, an unemployed resident of Lot 721 Plantation Best, West Coast Demerara, is facing accusations of scamming individuals out of large sums of money between November 2024 and September 2024.
The three victims, all women, had been promised house lots in various locations on the East Coast of Demerara. The first victim, a 33-year-old hairdresser from Non Pareil, ECD, paid Paul $1.6 million for a house lot at Montrose, ECD.
The second victim, a 23-year-old woman from Sophia, handed over $600,000 on July 18, 2024, for a lot at the Young Professional Scheme in Le Ressouvenir, ECD. Lastly, a 49-year-old goldsmith from Sophia was duped into giving $2.6 million between January and September 2024, also for a lot at Le Ressouvenir.
All three victims initially encountered Paul on Facebook, where she claimed to be employed at the Ministry of Housing and offered assistance in securing house lots. Believing her, they handed over the money, only to discover later that they had been scammed.
The breakthrough came when the victims spotted Paul at the Ministry of Housing on the afternoon of Thursday, March 13, 2025. The victims alerted the authorities, and Enforcement Investigation Officer Hansel Elliot quickly arrested Paul, who was subsequently taken into police custody.
The police have confirmed that investigations into the case are ongoing. Paul remains in custody as further inquiries are conducted.
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