A San Francisco resident has lost $18,600 in what he described as a sophisticated rental scam after responding to a seemingly legitimate apartment listing on Craigslist. The incident serves as a stark warning to renters navigating the competitive housing market.
Alvin Tran, a 28-year-old product designer, was searching for a two-bedroom apartment to share with a roommate when he found a listing on Zillow for a unit in the Duboce Triangle neighborhood. The apartment was listed for $6,200 per month and featured hardwood floors and bay windows. After an initial inquiry yielded no response from the listing agent, Tran encountered the same listing on Craigslist the following day. Believing it to be posted by the same entity, and having successfully rented apartments via Craigslist in the past, Tran proceeded to contact the poster.
He began communicating via text with an individual identifying himself as “James.” Tran subsequently scheduled a tour of the apartment. During the viewing, a man who called himself “Jim” and claimed to be the owner’s grandson showed the apartment. Tran assumed “Jim” and “James” were the same person. He noted that about six other prospective renters were present, which limited his ability to have extensive one-on-one interaction with the person showing the unit. Tran proceeded to offer $500 over the asking rent, making his offer $6,700 per month.
Shortly after, Tran was informed that his offer was accepted and received a lease agreement. The document listed landlords as James Basuino Dunlap and Leyder Junco Barranco. He was instructed to make two wire transfers: $12,400 for the first and last month's rent, and a $6,200 deposit. Tran stated he felt confident in proceeding because he had seen the apartment in person and had communicated with someone named James. His roommate transferred their portion of the funds, totaling $18,600, and Tran sent the money to the purported landlords.
However, when Tran arrived on July 30 for the scheduled move-in day, no one was present. All communication attempts with “James” ceased. Realizing he had been scammed, Tran contacted the original poster of the Zillow listing, who confirmed that the Craigslist advertisement was fraudulent. Tran’s bank informed him that the recovery of the funds would depend on the receiving bank, Bluevine Bank. While Tran stated the financial loss would not ruin him, he expressed guilt for involving his roommate in the scam.