subject: Craigslist [print this page] Craigslist has exploded in popularity over the last few years. On Craigslist.com you can find a job, or look for a job, you can sell that old china cabinet your mother gave you that you always hated, buy a perfect crib for the baby you're expecting or even give away the Franklin Stove that came with your house. However, the popularity of Craigslist has also made it home to many people seeking to take advantage, and so you have to watch carefully for frauds.
One scheme that is often seen involves listing a car for an amazingly low price. The listing may tell the story of how the vehicle is owned by someone in the armed forces and is being shipped home. And how desperately money is needed before its arrival. The unsuspecting buyer sends the cash, only to be left in the lurch. No car ever arrives.
Recently a man was arrested for advertising on Craigslist for putting an ad to rent a house he did not own. He collected thousand of dollars before being arrested for fraud. In the meantime, many people were out money they could not afford. The prospective renters could have easily avoided losing money if they had done a little checking.
There are also fraudulent employment offers, and extreme caution should be taken with all of them, especially when they are promising the opportunity to work from home. These offers are almost always nothing more than another scam which requires the prospective employee to pay fees up front for the "job". However, if you are pursuing a job through Craigslist and the point is reached where there will be a telephone conversation, you can use telephone look up services such as www.people-tracking-portal.com/J/2.html to do some background checking on the caller.
When considering anything on Craigslist, it is very important that a thorough investigation be conducted. Money should never be sent for anything without a personal review or some type of a legitimate guarantee on the item. Additionally, any response to personal ads should be done with much caution as many romance scammers utilize this site to take advantage of lonely hearts.
There have also been many people who have sent money to pay for an item and the item is never sent. Of course, when this happens, there is no recourse and the money is simply gone. When dealing with Craigslist and making a purchase, it is much better to meet the seller directly to make an exchange of the money for the item. This allows you to take a look at the merchandise before actually paying for it.
Providing free listings for goods and services, Craigslist can be a great resource for many people. Unfortunately, it has also become a breeding ground for fraudulent dealings. By taking some simple precautions, you can avoid being duped or cheated out of your hard earned money.
Anytime there is a request to have money wired to a distant location, or a money order or cashiers check is being requested, those are red flags and you may not want to deal with those sellers. Ideally, all Craigslist purchases should be done locally where a physical meeting can be arranged for every one's safety and convenience. You should also take care that you never give out your personal information and remember that if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
