Scammers Are Duplicating Real Rental Listings to Steal Your Deposit |
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A San Francisco man lost $18,600 to a fake listing for an apartment he toured in person. Searching for an apartment? Here is how to protect yourself.
Scammers are copying real San Francisco rental listings from one platform and reposting them as their own on another, collecting deposits from people who have no idea they are dealing with an impostor. In one of the most competitive rental markets in the country, renters move fast when they find something that works. That urgency is exactly what scammers count on. These scams are sophisticated enough to fool even careful renters. According to FTC’s 2025 rental scam report, people ages 18 to 29 are three times more likely to lose money to a rental scam. Since 2020, Americans have reported $65 million in losses, and most cases go unreported.
How it works:
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Scammer copies a real rental listing from one platform (like Zillow) and reposts it on another (like Craigslist). The apartment is real and can be toured, which makes the fake listing easy to trust. Scammer impersonates the real landlord or agent, sometimes using the agent's photo, license number, or an AI-generated voice on the phone.
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Scammer quickly moves communication off the listing platform to text or personal email, sends a lease to sign, and makes it hard to verify who you are actually dealing with.
- Scammer requests first month's rent, last month's rent (illegal under California law for most units), and a security deposit upfront by wire transfer, Zelle, Venmo, or gift card.
- After payment, the scammer stops responding. The apartment belongs to someone else entirely.
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A legitimate landlord can always prove they own or are authorized to rent the property. If they cannot, do not pay.
What to do:
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- Search the listing photo or video using Google reverse image search to see if it appears elsewhere under a different name or price.
- Ask for proof that the person showing the unit owns the building or has authorization to rent it out. A legitimate landlord or property manager should be able to provide this.
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View the apartment in-person. During the viewing, verify the contact information and application process with the person showing it.
- Never pay a deposit or rent before seeing the unit in person and signing a lease with the verified property owner or authorized property manager.
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Under California law (AB 12), most landlords cannot charge "last month's rent." You should only owe first month's rent plus a security deposit of one month's rent. If someone asks for more, that is a warning sign.
- If payment instructions change or you are redirected to a different name or account, stop. Do not send money until you have verified directly with the property owner through a number you find yourself.
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If you have been scammed, contact your bank or payment service right away to report the fraudulent transfer and ask for a reversal. Visit our Payment Recovery Guide for next steps based on how you paid. Then report to SFPD's non-emergency line at (415) 553-0123 and to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
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These steps can lower your risk, but scammers are sophisticated and even careful renters can be deceived. If this happened to you, it is not your fault. Free financial counseling is available through StopScams SF, whether you have been scammed or want to protect yourself before you sign a lease.
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This is the next alert issued through StopScams SF, San Francisco's citywide anti-scam initiative. Sign up for future alerts and free financial counseling at treasurer.sf.gov/economicjustice.
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