By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-14 21:32:10 | Updated at 2025-01-18 07:50:21
3 days ago
Fake apartment ads have quickly dominated the housing market in California, proving that if something looks too good to be true - it probably is.
Scam listings emerged as a major problem for aspiring renters looking for a home in San Francisco back in 2023, but the deeply dark rabbit hole still exists - just more polished and hard to spot.
'Now those listings have grown up, and scammers have learned a new trick: copy and paste,' Dan Gentile, a senior culture editor at SFGate.
With the hopes of uncovering a rare real estate deal, Gentile sets out on a quest through websites such as Craigslist every few years to search for a home further than the length of a studio apartment.
But along the way, he undercovers the underbelly of apartment rental scams.
For years, the majority of fake rentals on Craigslist preyed upon renters' dreams of finding a landlord who miraculously hasn't changed their rent in accordance with the changing of the times.
Broken English, stories of the property's history and photos seemingly taken with a 5 megapixel Sony Cybershot camera are part of the ad's description, making the deal seem legit.
But those same homes aren't often diamonds found in the rough.
'Everything about the contemporary San Francisco apartment scam listing looks real, except the price,' Gentile wrote in his recent article on SFGate.
Fake apartment ads have quickly dominated the housing market in the bustling city of San Francisco, California, over the last few years
Dan Gentile, a senior culture editor at SFGate, sets out on a quest through websites such as Craigslist every few years to search for a home in the city further than the length of a studio apartment, but has uncovered dozens of fraudulent listings in the process
'That's because scammers now lift real photos and descriptions from listings, going so far as to include the actual addresses.'
Like many others, Gentile is always keeping an eye open for an elusive $1,600-per-month dream home.
Although listing sites like Zillow have claimed to have upgraded their scam filters with a combination of human moderation and AI bots, Facebook Marketplace and other group pages have become scam central.
Having investigated the theory before, the initial process for Gentile always begins the same way - opening a Craigslist email alert for a listing with promises of a prime location along with other factors such as an abundance of natural light.
The best part - the price is usually listed under $2,000.
A link is attached to the email, which leads the interested buyer, in this case being Gentile, into a second Craigslist page consisting of additional descriptions into the residence.
He then shoots off an email to the seller, informing them of his average credit score and career.
Almost immediately, he receives a reply back asking for a phone number with a text coming through just seconds later - the process sometimes being set into motion as late as two in the morning.
Gentile then tries to set up a viewing, but not before he is asked about prior evictions and criminal records.
Now rental scams are harder to spot, including the pictured apartment listed for $1,680, which lifts real photos and descriptions from legit listings - even going so far as to include the actual address
Pictured above is the actual property, which can be seen listed for $1,195,000 on Zillow
'Here comes the turn, the place cheap rent dreams must go to die,' Gentile wrote. 'The background check.'
To continue through the process, he must click an email with a hyperlink leading to www.mightstealyouridentity.com or MSYI - a website to share your birthday, driver's license number and model of your car for a $30 fee.
Many people fall victim at this stage with 70 percent going even further and putting down a security deposit - 62 percent of whom having lost more than $500 in the process, according to a recent Rently survey.
But Gentile has had at least a dozen similar exchanges while hunting for a home in the bustling city of San Fran.
Most recently, a contemporary apartment with hobbit-height ceilings standing in Noe Valley caught his eye - leading him down the same trial-and-error path yet again.
Gentile sent his first response on Christmas Eve and was notified that the 'landlord' wasn't touring the home until after the holidays.
While the conversation went back-and-forth, including discussions on the furnishings that could be included for no extra cost, the owner vanished without even sending an invite to their MSYI portal.
After following up a few more times, the ad was soon met with a notification - flagged for removal.
Rental scams in San Francisco have become so common that it has led to fear amongst aspiring renters - nearly half of renters in the city have experienced a suspicious apartment listing as of 2024
For years, the majority of fake rentals on Craigslist preyed upon renters' dreams of finding a landlord who miraculously hasn't changed their rent in accordance with the changing of the times
'These scammers aren't reinventing the wheel here, but what struck me the most on this round is that the fraud listings themselves now look indistinguishable from real ads,' Gentile wrote.
'It makes chasing rare deals feel like a fool's errand, adding to what's already one of the most demoralizing things about living in the city.'
Apartments.com lists the average rent for a 405-square-foot studio apartment in San Francisco at $2,235 and a one-bedroom at $2,896.
Overall, rent prices rose 1.6 percent over the past year.
Although cheaper prices do exist - Gentile himself has spotted dozens of legit one-bedroom places within the $2,200 to $2,500 range - the likelihood of being scammed remains a possibility.
Back in 2022, Gentile won an investigative journalism award for pursuing a scammer right up to his fake doorstep.
A Craigslist post for a one-bedroom apartment in prime Mission was listed at $1,500 a month - a price that seems to good to be true.
In September of 2022, a man named Lewis answered Gentile's call of interest and proceeded to ask him how fast he could get to the residence.
Although listing sites like Zillow have claimed to have upgraded their scam filters with a combination of human moderation and AI bots, Facebook Marketplace and other group pages have become scam central
A majority of renters blame the rental platforms themselves for shaking their confidence in the market
Within 30 minutes, Gentile was standing in the rain on the sidewalk of Treat Avenue, waiting for Lewis to arrive.
When Lewis still hadn't arrived, Gentile unlatched the fence and headed over to the back of a hidden two-story compound of apartments.
He was able to see that Unit A was empty through a window, besides a bottle of hand sanitizer on the kitchen counter.
But Lewis failed to arrive at all.
Gentile called Lewis back with basic questions including if he lived in the city and where - each of them being answered like a real San Francisco human being.
Lewis then texted Gentile a Rently link that he claimed would supply a lockbox code, but the link listed the rent as $2,600.
He explained away the change in price by informing Gentile that the room was initially discounted due to the pandemic.
But a pop-up notification showed the real landlord's phone number - warning the user that if they were communicating with anyone else they were being scammed.
Gentile read the prompt aloud while still on the phone with Lewis, who quickly became panicked - affirming that the apartment did belong to him and he could be trusted.
It's safe to say Gentile never received the keys to that home.
Fraudulent listings have become so common that 90 percent of renters are worried about falling victim themselves, according to the Rently survey.
Among those who have fallen victim to a rental scam, 88 percent have came across the fake listing on Facebook while 12 percent discovered it on Craigslist.
Seventy percent of victims already paid their security deposit before they even realized they were scammed.
Nearly half of those people have lost more than $1,000 during the process.
According to Apartment List, nearly half of renters in San Francisco have experienced a suspicious apartment listing as of 2024.
When looking for a home, a 'no-screening' application process, unrealistic prices and listings with vague information should be viewed as red flags
Gentile said: 'These scammers aren't reinventing the wheel here, but what struck me the most on this round is that the fraud listings themselves now look indistinguishable from real ads'
A majority of renters blame the rental platforms themselves for shaking their confidence in the market.
Thirty-nine percent place the blame on online rental platforms with the additional 23 percent blaming landlords.
In an effort to halt the problem, renters have pushed for more proactive prevention efforts from the broader rental industry.
A whopping 92 percent of renters have noted how it is 'important' or 'very important' that landlords and property management companies use better technology to prevent the influx of scams.
When looking for a home, a 'no-screening' application process, unrealistic prices and listings with vague information should be viewed as red flags.
'Rental fraud isn't just a financial crime - it's a direct attack on the trust and stability that renters depend on during one of life's most critical decisions,' Merrick Lackner, Rently's CEO, said.
'Our industry must lead the charge in outpacing scammers with stronger safeguards, transparency and education, ensuing every renter can search for a home without fear of exploitation.'
As for Gentile's own personal rental battle, he still hasn't signed any papers for a brand new place.
Yet through the old-fashioned method of house hunting, he may have found something through friends.
'But until I have the keys in hand, I'll probably keep texting Marys/Sarahs/Kristins, digging through the darkness of Craigslist for that rare cheap apartment flooded with light,' he wrote.
