Kakkanad: In a shocking real estate scam, police have arrested a man who allegedly rented flats and fraudulently “sold” them on OLX without the knowledge of the actual owners. The arrested accused, identified as Mintu Mani (36), was residing in a rented flat in Vazhakkala and is the second accused in the case, according to Thrikkakara police. The prime accused, Asha, remains absconding.

The fraud involved renting flats in Kakkanad and nearby areas and then advertising the same properties on OLX as being available for mortgage deals. Victims were lured with promises of property mortgages and asked to pay large advance amounts. Using the same flats repeatedly, the accused collected lakhs from unsuspecting buyers who were unaware of each other.

The case came to light when a complaint was filed regarding a flat at Global Village Apartments on Manikulangara Road, Kakkanad. The complainants alleged that they had paid money to mortgage the flat for 11 months. One victim paid ₹6.5 lakh and arrived to occupy the flat, only to find that the same flat had been "mortgaged" to two other people for a total of ₹8 lakh.

As the fraud unravelled, more victims came forward. So far, nearly 20 people have approached the police claiming they were defrauded similarly, bringing the total estimated scam amount to ₹20 lakh.

Thrikkakara police have registered three separate cases, while Infopark police have taken up two additional complaints related to the scam.