Furniture store owner allegedly swindles over 150 customers in Kalar

SULAYMANIYAH, September 5 — More than 150 people in Sulaymaniyah’s Kalar district say they fell victim to a scam by a furniture store owner who promised to furnish their apartments in the Pan City residential complex, but disappeared with their money.

The store is located in front of Kalar General Hospital, where the owner collected initial down payments for furnishings, before running off with the money.

Jutyar Tawfeeq, a resident of Pan City, told 964: “The store owner took advance payments from 150 individuals, most of whom are residents of our complex, and promised to furnish their homes. I was one of them and I paid an advance of 1,750,000 Iraqi dinars to purchase a sofa set.”

“On Sunday, more than 115 complaints were filed with the Kalar police against the store owner,” Tawfeeq said.

Customers visited the shop but found it empty. They attempted to contact the owner’s relatives, but they denied knowledge of his whereabouts.

The suspect has not been apprehended yet, and the police are still investigating the incident.