San Francisco renter scammed out of $18K in sketchy Craigslist listing

It was real until it wasn’t.A San Francisco man is sending out a warning to renters after falling victim to a sophisticated rental scam that cost him $18,600 last month.“I think I’m a pretty savvy person… and I fell for this scam,” 28-year-old Alvin Tran told ABC 7.While searching for an apartment to share with a roommate, Tran stumbled across a dream apartment on Zillow.The two-bedroom spread in San Francisco’s Dubcoe Triangle neighborhood was asking $6,200 a month and featured hardwood floors, large bay windows, and freshly painted white walls.

He sent an inquiry to the listing agent, but no one got back to him.The next day, he spotted the same apartment while searching through Craigslist.The listing’s photos and description matched the Zillow listing, and Tran assumed the same person had posted both.The product designer trusted Craigslist.

After all, he had used the platform to rent apartments in the past, one of which he didn’t even visit in person before signing the lease.Tran messaged the Craigslist ad about the apartment, and quickly began texting with a man named “James.”Soon, Tran scheduled a tour of the apartment.It looked just like the photos.

The man who showed Tran the apartment called himself “Jim” and said his grandparents owned the building.Tran assumed James and Jim were the same person.

About six other people were also at the apartment for a tour.“Because there were so many people, I didn’t get much one-on-one time to talk to him,” Tran told The San Francisco Standard.“Our conversation was mainly asking about the unit, the neighborhood, who the next-door neighbors are.

I had already been emailing and texting someone who I thought was [the same] guy.There was no reason for me to confirm that, because I was already in communication.”Tran made a move on the apartment quickly, offering to shell out $6,7000 a month, $500 over asking.

He was soon informed that he got the apartment and was sent a lease agreement wit...