Rental listing scams are up in Santa Clara County

Rental listing scams are becoming more elaborate, with local authorities warning residents to take caution.

When Shereen Jarrett was searching for an affordable apartment during the months she was  homeless, numerous red flags popped up. After visiting properties, she learned there were no vacancies and the person claiming to be the property owner was an imposter. She got calls to immediately put down a security deposit to hold an apartment. She was asked to submit sensitive information, including her bank account and Social Security number.

Jarrett never provided any information or paid anyone no matter how desperate she was for an apartment.

“If I’m struggling, (the elderly) have no chance,” Jarrett told San José Spotlight. “Most people won’t have the ability to read at an advanced level and keep advocating for themselves.”

A San Jose Police Department spokesperson said rental listing scams are getting worse. The exact numbers are difficult to nail down because these scams take on various forms, ranging from housing scams to financial fraud, identity theft and cyber attacks.

“These criminals are using sophisticated tactics, making it increasingly difficult for law enforcement to track, investigate and prevent such crimes,” the SJPD spokesperson told San José Spotlight. “These trends are appearing more frequently, with both domestic and international criminal suspects at the forefront.”

Sgt. Michael Low, who works as a detective in the West Valley for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, has seen an increasing number of rental listing scam cases. He told San José Spotlight there were about nine cases reported in 2024, compared to four in 2023. The sheriff’s office covers the county’s unincorporated areas that include parts of Los Gatos, East San Jose and central San Jose, parts of Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy and the cities of Los Altos Hills, Cupertino and Saratoga.

“I’ve personally seen a lot of these types of calls and reports this past year,” Low told San José Spotlight. “A lot of them are very similar in nature.”

In one case, a scammer tried to extract money from an international student by asking for six months of rent in advance. In another instance, someone paid thousands of dollars to a scammer impersonating a landlord, who disappeared after receiving the money, Low said.

Jarrett estimated of the four dozen applications she started, roughly 70%  were scams or didn’t feel right.

Low said tracking scammers is difficult, since they often use multiple emails and phone numbers.

But there are several signs that people can look for, he said. One of the more obvious signs is when rent is advertised below market-rate — that’s a red flag. Another is when people ask for a security deposit before an apartment viewing. Low said it’s best to go to the listing location in person to check if it’s legitimate.

If a person is worried their information has been compromised, contact law enforcement right away, he said. He also encourages people to check their credit scores to see if they go down.

“If (scammers) get your Social Security (number) and your information, they’re going to try to open up loans and credit cards and all sorts of things,” Low said. “So if you lock or freeze your credit with the three major credit bureaus … they cannot open up any new accounts with your information.”

Finding housing amid scams

Jarrett became homeless last November, after  being evicted for the owner to sell the property. Her life took a downward spiral after multiple life tragedies, including a family death, the schools she ran closing and losing the roof over her head. She floated between living in a friend’s storage unit and with relatives.

Jarrett reached out to YWCA for help and was connected with a caseworker. The nonprofit offered to help her pay a deposit and provide rental assistance for a limited time. She searched for an apartment in earnest.

Some of the scams she encountered were posted on affordablehousingonline.com and affordablehousing.com, which are listed on Santa Clara County Housing Authority’s website. Jarrett also found suspicious listings on websites such as RentCafe, HotPads and even Zillow.

In July, housing authority officials became aware of a flyer circulating on social media offering people assistance with their housing voucher applications, but was actually an attempt to steal personal information.

“Unfortunately, many scams online try to get information and payments from some of the most vulnerable while searching for housing,” Brandi Johnson, spokesperson for the housing authority, told San José Spotlight. “We continuously educate the public and our residents that our applications are always free to apply and try to direct them to use our website.”

In one of the more elaborate scams, someone impersonated Jarrett’s YWCA caseworker, by mirroring her caseworker’s email. She was told the Santa Clara apartment she applied for was approved. The scammer requested she send her deposit immediately, or her application would be withdrawn.

“All this is pushing people more toward mental or emotional exhaustion, where they can’t take it anymore and they start losing it,” Jarrett said.

After months of searching, Jarrett was approved for an apartment in downtown San Jose, but she worries how she can sustain the rent when her financial assistance tapers out.

“It’s a place I can’t afford, and now I’m scared,” Jarrett said.

Contact Joyce Chu at [email protected] or @joyce_speaks on X, formerly known as Twitter.