SF man scammed out of $18,600 after fake Craigslist rental listing mimics real property owner

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A San Francisco man says he lost $18,600 in a sophisticated rental scam that allegedly used a fake Craigslist listing to impersonate the owner of a real apartment, leading him to wire money for a lease that did not exist.

"I think I'm a pretty savvy person... and I fell for this scam," victim Alvin Tran told 7 On Your Side.

Tran said he was searching for housing in San Francisco's competitive rental market when he found a two-bedroom apartment in Duboce Triangle listed for $6,200 per month on both Craigslist and Zillow. The listings used the same photos and description.

"So, I assumed it was the same person cross-posting," Tran said.

After submitting inquiries through both platforms, Tran said he received a response only from the Craigslist listing. The person communicating with him by email identified himself as "James Dunlap," the name of the property's owner, who also goes by Jim Dunlap Basuino.

"They were asking me a lot of details, which made me think they are the owner. So, I felt good about what I was walking into," Tran said.

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Tran later received a text and email that read: "Alvin, I was overwhelmed by over 70 inquiries, and I just can't get everybody in to see the place. Can you swing by at 11:30 a.m. and take a look?"

The message appeared legitimate, but Basuino, the real property owner, said he never sent it.

Basuino confirmed to 7 On Your Side that the message did not come from him.

"In today's electronic world, it's so easy to impersonate this," he said.

Tran attended a tour of the apartment, where Basuino was showing the unit to prospective renters. Tran said nothing about the situation appeared suspicious, not realizing the Craigslist ad he found was fake.

"I didn't... the apartment was real, the person seems really knowledgeable, I thought I was there for the legit open house from the legit posting," Tran said.

Basuino said he had scheduled only 10 to 12 appointments through Zillow but was surprised by the turnout of at least 40.

Neither man realized at the time that the fraudulent Craigslist listing was directing additional renters to the property.

Basuino said he'd have "immediately said something was wrong," if someone had mentioned the Craigslist ad.

Tran said he submitted rental applications through both Craigslist and Zillow, along with supporting documentation. He was approved first through the Craigslist listing and signed what appeared to be a standard California lease agreement.

Although he noticed two names listed in the landlord section, he said he was not alarmed.

"I had already seen that name before, so it didn't ring any alarm bells or red flags for me," Tran said.

According to Tran, the second name was associated with an offshore bank account identified as "JNDNUA International." He then wired $18,600, covering the first month's rent, last month's rent and a security deposit.

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Over the following days, Tran said he discussed move-in logistics with the person he believed was the landlord. He gave up his existing apartment and hired a moving company.

When the day arrived to pick up his keys, however, no one responded.

"The next morning, I got confirmation it was indeed a scam, I was devastated," Tran said.

Tran later contacted Basuino through the Zillow listing and learned that the Craigslist advertisement was fraudulent. Basuino said he was unaware someone had been using his identity.

"It's unfortunate!" he said. "I wonder how many other people got scammed."

7 On Your Side said it contacted the email account allegedly coordinating the scam but did not receive a response.

Basuino said he plans to add language to future listings stating that his properties are advertised only on a specific platform, such as Zillow, in an effort to prevent confusion.

Federal Trade Commission data show nearly 65,000 rental scams and $65 million in losses have been reported since 2020, with a median loss of $1,000.

"This one is 18 times that," said Clayton LiaBraaten, a 20-year scam and fraud-prevention expert at Truecaller.

A key point is that if you do meet in person, exchange contact information directly -- so you know who exactly you're talking to.

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