A new kind of rental scam strikes SF: He lost $18,000 to a dupe listing

How it works

A renter finds what looks like a legitimate apartment listing online. The scammer poses as the landlord or property manager and asks the renter to send a deposit or upfront fee via wire transfer or another hard-to-trace payment method. Once the money is sent, the scammer disappears and the renter discovers the listing was a duplicate or fake.

Red flags to watch for

• You are asked to pay via wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency before seeing the unit in person
• The listing price is significantly lower than comparable rentals in the area
• The landlord refuses to meet you in person or video chat
• The listing appears on multiple websites with slightly different details
• Payment is requested before signing a lease or receiving keys

What to do

Never send money for a rental without visiting the property and meeting the actual owner or manager in person. If you are asked to wire funds upfront, do not do it. Verify the listing on the official property management or landlord website. Report the fake listing to the housing platform and to reportfraud.ftc.gov.