JEDDAH: Lured by an advertisement for homes that could be purchased in installments, a local woman says the people behind the advertisement defrauded her thousands of riyals.
“I lost SR92,000 that I paid to a real estate establishment for a house,” said the retired school principal who only wanted to be referred to as Najat. “I contacted the firm and expressed my desire to buy a house. They promised to sell a house immediately at a cheap price. But the firm did not hand me the house even though I waited over two months. Every time I went there they told me I will get it shortly.”
On Thursday, she learned that the office being used by the supposed swindlers was closed.
“Najat’s case is one of the many fraud cases particularly related to the real estate and share market. People’s losses in such dealings are astronomical,” said lawyer Abdullah Mirdad.
“She should have gone to a court when she had her first suspicion about the firm’s credibility.” Mirdad pointed out that the legal procedure to file suit could take years in these type of cases. “I know several cases similar to Najat’s that have been awaiting implementation for the past several years,” he said.
He added that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has set up a committee for the speedy implementation of court judgments but it did not change anything on the ground.
