apartmentlist.com

I would like to report a rental scam involving a listing for an apartment located at 3335 La Mesa Dr #3, San Carlos, CA 94070. I initially contacted the person advertising the property through an online apartment listing platform. The website of Apparment list share this fake information (https://www.apartmentlist.com/matches). The individual identified himself as Don Okano and communicated with me using the email address [email protected] . He claimed to be the owner of the property and provided a lease agreement, a copy of a driver’s license, and a utility bill to appear legitimate. After my application was “approved,” I was instructed to send the security deposit and first month’s rent via wire transfer. The payment instructions changed multiple times and involved different bank accounts and names, including: Nancy Roger’s – Bank of America Marcea Harris – Wells Fargo The person claimed these accounts belonged to family members, which raised serious concerns. The individual refused to conduct any video call or allow an in-person viewing of the apartment and insisted that the keys would be sent only after payment was completed. After further investigation, it became clear that this follows a common rental fraud pattern, where scammers use real property addresses and stolen identification documents to convince victims to wire money. I have reported the incident to my bank (Chase) to initiate a wire recall and have also begun reporting the case to relevant authorities. I am submitting this report to warn others about this fraudulent listing and the individuals involved. Scammer Information: Name used: Don Okano Email: [BBB Scam Type: Other] [Business: Okano Don] [Location: Darien, IL, USA - 60561]

The scam is exactly as the other victim described (attached below), and using the exact same phone number -- the only difference is that this time, they're using an apartment based in Denver, CO, and using a different home address and LLC. Current address: 2 Bay Point Cir, Rochester, NY 14622 LLC: Tested & Trusted Enterprise LLC Previous victim's description: I had liked this apartment in Astoria from apartmentlist.com, which prompted the scammer to use my email address. He reached out via email, noting that the unit was still available. It was priced extremely under the market, but he mentioned that him and his partner are currently managing the unit on their own. I had assumed they wanted a long-lasting, hassle-free relationship with the tenant. They also mentioned that they are unable to conduct an in-person walkthrough since him and his partner relocated to Rochester, NY. They requested first month's rent and security deposit (equal to first month's rent) upfront to secure the apartment. They requested valid government-issued ID, proof of income, and asked me to fill out a rental application. Their emails included a video tour and floor plan, which made me more inclined to believe them. [BBB Scam Type: Rental] [Business: Tested Trusted Enterprise LLC Date] [Location: CO, USA - 80202]