Back when my friend and I were having summer internships in DC we found a place to rent on zillow. Looked like professional photos, but the price seemed almost too good to be true. We talked to the guy he sent us a form to fill out and wanted one month's rent as a deposit.

I googled the address and found the real, realtor. Contacted him and he said the rental price was double what the guy was saying. That that guy is a fake and to be careful.

So, all that to say, be careful with Zillow. I would ask for a virtual tour (via zoom) or something to make sure you can see the apartment/room before giving any money.

Also if you have Facebook, there are a few facebook pages for DC roommates, etc.