The issue came to light when a San Leandro resident, Richard Mellor, noticed a stranger outside his neighbor's home asking about a rental.
"This guy turns up on a scooter and he is middle-aged. He is looking at the house next door and then he says does anyone live here? I said yes and he said, Do they have a room for rent?" Mellor said.
Mellor alerted his neighbor of nearly three decades, John Shaddle, who quickly discovered his home had been listed for rent online without his knowledge.
"I looked for my house and there it was. It said there was a rental for $800 and a $500 deposit and I said this is not even my house. It was like an AI-generated thing," Shaddle said.
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When asked about seeing his address posted online, Shaddle said he was upset.
"I was pissed. I was really upset. We have lived here all my life. I wouldn't have known this if it wasn't for my neighbor coming and talking to us about it. Somebody could have gotten ripped off," he said.
Shaddle reached out to the contact listed in the post.
"He texted me right back and said do you want to rent this place? I said no. This is my house," Shaddle said.
He reported the listing to TikTok and the San Leandro Police Department. Shaddle said his report to the platform was initially unsuccessful.
"I reported it to TikTok and they said they said this didn't violate any of their guidelines. So that was kind of crazy," he said.
At the time of the interview, the listing with Shaddle's address remained online, showing 147 likes and eight comments from interested users. After ABC7 reached out, TikTok deactivated the profile.
In a statement, the company said: "Our Community Guidelines strictly prohibit deceptive behaviors and attempts to defraud or scam people on TikTok. We proactively remove the majority of this content, and when we become aware of it on the platform, we take it down."
Shaddle said he later found additional listings in his neighborhood.
"I found maybe eight other houses in the neighborhood," he said.
San Leandro police confirmed they are aware of the fraudulent listings, adding in a statement that "it appears the individual responsible may be operating outside the United States."
Housing experts warn that scams like these often target renters' deposits and personal information.
Derek Barnes, CEO of the East Bay Rental Housing Association, urged caution when responding to online listings.
"Never ever send money to anyone unless you can verify the address, you can verify the owner or the property manager. You have an appointment to actually see the apartment," Barnes said.
Attempts to reach the person behind the listing were unsuccessful.
A text message sent to the listed number received a response of "hello," but no further communication followed.
Authorities and advocates say scams like these can also lead to identity theft, as victims may unknowingly submit sensitive information - including Social Security numbers and banking details - through fraudulent applications.
Residents are urged to verify property listings and owners before sending money or sharing personal information.