(Undisclosed Address), San Francisco, CA 94103

This posting isn't for a real apartment but is a PSA for renters. At a recent showing, someone shared they'd just been scammed so I wanted to spread awareness. Scammers steal photos/videos from real listings and repost at a lower rent. In this case: - The renter responded to the fake ad - The scammer contacted the real owner and scheduled a showing - The renter saw the actual unit and met the real owner - The scammer followed up pretending to be the owner and the renter sent two months' security deposit which was lost Some tips: - If it seems too good to be true, it probably is - Don't pay fees, send an application, or provide any personal info before seeing an apartment in-person - Confirm the correct phone number/ email address in-person at the showing with the owner/ agent on-site - In CA, it's illegal to collect more than a month's rent for security deposit - Do repeated google image searches of a listing's images to see if multiple listings pull up. The highest priced one will be the real one