Craigslist is a huge platform for satisfied buyers and sellers. Sellers are able to meet the ultimate buyers, and buyers are able to meet the actual sellers of the products they require on Craigslist. A smooth buying and selling experience takes place on Craigslist. But are all the transactions smooth on Craigslist?
With the scam industry growing at the same pace as technology and advancement, scammers have not spared a legitimate buying and selling platform like Craigslist. A scam awaits every second or third buyer or seller on Craigslist. Responses received for any easily shippable item are often scams.
Craigslist scams involve fraudulent schemes conducted on the popular online marketplace, Craigslist. Common scams include fake rental listings, job offers, or product sales. In rental scams, fraudsters create bogus property listings, enticing victims to pay upfront fees or deposits for properties that do not exist. Job scams may involve fake job postings with requests for personal information or upfront payments for training. Product sales scams often feature non-existent or misrepresented items, leading to financial loss for buyers. To avoid Craigslist scams, users should be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true, verify the legitimacy of listings, meet in person for transactions when possible, and never wire money to unknown parties. Staying vigilant and recognizing common scam patterns are essential for a safe experience on Craigslist.
The list of craigslist scam victims is increasing day by day:
Many scammers from Nigeria are trying to scam legitimate users of Craigslist. They send emails to sellers on Craigslist, pretending to buy their advertised products and send checks with an overpayment. These scammers usually ask the seller to wire back the extra payment. Innocent users who wire back the money are the ones who end up being successfully scammed. It is always a good practice to complete transactions with customers in your nearby area or locality.
The list of Craigslist scam victims is unfortunately growing, as scammers continue to exploit the platform for fraudulent activities. Individuals looking for rentals, jobs, or products on Craigslist are increasingly falling victim to various scams, including fake listings, non-existent properties, and misrepresented items. Scammers often use tactics that create a false sense of urgency, such as limited availability or exclusive deals, pressuring victims to act quickly without proper verification. To mitigate the risk of falling prey to Craigslist scams, users should exercise caution, thoroughly vet listings and sellers, conduct transactions in person whenever possible, and avoid sharing sensitive information or making upfront payments to unknown parties. The rise in victims underscores the importance of user awareness and vigilance to combat the evolving tactics employed by scammers on online marketplaces like Craigslist.
Buyers and sellers beware! That’s the slogan to avoid scams on Craigslist. Any user who encounters a suspicious or scam-related offer can report it immediately by sending an email to Craigslist at abuse@craigslist.org, providing all known details about the listing
Most popular scams that are reported on craigslist :
1. Craigslist apartment rental scams
Scammers are very clever and aware of the high demand for apartment rentals in New York City. They exploit this by using bait-and-switch strategies, scamming users out of thousands of dollars in the name of rental apartments.
2. Craigslist car selling scams
Fraudulent postings for car sales have become a common occurrence on Craigslist. Depending on the scammer’s strategy, either the buyer or the seller can become a victim of a car scam.
3. Craigslist ticket scams
Many scammers sell fake or unwanted tickets to sporting events, concerts, festivals, and fairs. Most of these are for sold-out events, and scammers take pride in deceiving users through ticket scams.
4. Craigslist escrow services scams
Scammers take advantage of escrow services—typically trusted platforms used to complete secure transactions—and use them to steal money. They pretend to be agents or representatives of escrow services and act as mediators between the buyer and the seller to commit fraud.
5. Craigslist cell phone swindle scam
This is one of the smartest moves made by scammers. Scammers pretend to buy your advertised product and ask you to provide your contact details for further processing. They claim to be too busy to speak with you and instead ask you to enter your cell phone number on a website link they send. In this scam, when the victim enters their cell phone number on the site provided by the scammer, they unknowingly sign up for a service that deducts a recurring amount monthly from their credit card. There is no easy way to cancel this service. By the time the victim realizes it, the scammer has already milked a significant amount of money from their account.
6. Craigslist job offer scams
Work-from-home jobs and other job offers that ask the victim to deposit an initial fee are common on Craigslist. These job offers often appear too good to be true and are presented as great opportunities to lure victims in.
The various facets of craigslist scams:
CHECK THIS VIDEO TRICK!
The most popular buying and selling platform is also a prime target for crooks looking to scam innocent users. The "Click the video" trick is a commonly used tactic by scammers to trap their victims. The scammer poses as a legitimate buyer of your product and sends a message containing a video link. The link urges the victim to download a piece of software that is supposedly required to view the video. Once the user downloads the viewer onto their system, the scammer's malware activates, infiltrating the user's computer and extracting personal data, browser cookies, and other sensitive information.
LEAVE YOUR NUMBER TRICK:
Another popular trick adopted by scammers is the "leave your phone number" trick. In this scam, the scammer approaches the victim on Craigslist, pretending to be a legitimate buyer interested in the product the victim is selling. The scammer deliberately asks for the victim’s phone number to "discuss transaction details." When the unsuspecting victim provides their phone number, the scammer uses it to make premium-rate phone calls that are charged to the victim’s credit card or phone account.
Real time scam experiences of users on craigslist
Free Home Free Furniture Scam:
Below is an example of a real-time Craigslist hoax, where a man lost his entire lifetime earnings in a Craigslist scam. This story dates back to March 2008, when a man was scammed out of all his belongings. A group of scammers had posted a fake ad on Craigslist stating that a house in a sophisticated neighborhood was being given away for free, as the owner had to urgently relocate. Completely unaware of this trick, the actual owner returned home in the evening to find trucks outside his house, loading up all his belongings. Upon interrogation, the group of scammers produced the Craigslist ad—which, in reality, had never been posted by the owner himself.
Buy Cheap Rental Homes Scam
Another widely reported example of a Craigslist scam involves "cheap rental homes" that usually don’t exist. Scammers post pictures of appealing properties on Craigslist at below-average rental prices. Legitimate consumers searching for affordable housing find the deal too good to be true and proceed to send cash to the scammer’s address or bank account, expecting to receive rental contracts and other documents afterward. However, the scammers disappear with the money and never respond to the victims. In some cases, scammers ask for an application fee, which they collect from multiple victims—amounting to a substantial sum that satisfies their financial motive.
The Cell Phone Craigslist Scam
This is one of the most popular types of Craigslist scams. In this case, sellers are the primary targets. Scammers approach them, pretending to be interested buyers, and claim to be too busy to discuss the transaction in detail. They ask the sellers to use a specific web service to fill out their contact details, promising to call them back to proceed with the deal. However, when the sellers use the web service and enter their information, they unknowingly subscribe to a monthly service that charges up to $10 per month, with no clear option to cancel or opt out. After this, the scammer disappears, and the product remains unsold. This scam is spreading rapidly across the Craigslist network, catching many unsuspecting users off guard.
The Used Car's for Less Strategy:
Cars are among the most transacted items on Craigslist. However, there is a significant risk of losing hundreds or even thousands of dollars on these car deals. In such scams, fraudsters pose as sellers offering cars at jaw-dropping prices. The deal appears too good to be true, and the buyer may rush to pay the full amount, fearing they might miss out. Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that the seller disappears after receiving the buyer’s hard-earned money. The screenshot below illustrates a real-life example of a woman (the scammer) who listed a brand-new SUV for just $3,000. When asked about the unusually low price, she shared emotional stories to justify it. Buyers on Craigslist must remember that emotional stories have nothing to do with the actual value of a car—these are tactics used by scammers who intend to vanish once the payment is made.
The Solders Craigslist Scams:
Scammers have left no niche untouched in their efforts to make their tricks successful. They post fake advertisements on Craigslist, posing as soldiers who want to sell all their belongings at low prices before returning home. These include items they claim to have used while on deployment overseas—such as televisions, computers, and other everyday essentials. The scammers create a false sense of urgency, claiming limited time availability, which draws in multiple buyers in a short period. Their ultimate goal is to swindle the money and then disappear without ever delivering the promised items.
Buyers on Craigslist Beware:
A serious and often unnoticed method of scamming is the phishing eBay scam on Craigslist. Scammers use tactics that typically go undetected by the average user. In this type of scam, the fraudster lists products on Craigslist at reasonable prices that would attract any buyer. Once a buyer shows interest, the scammer directs them to a page, claiming that paying through eBay would be more convenient. The user is then asked to enter their eBay login details. The phishing page is a near-exact replica of the official eBay login page, and most users fail to recognize it as fake. As a result, they unknowingly enter all their personal details into a page created by the scammer. The scammer then uses this information to access the user’s PayPal account and steal all the funds. Many users have fallen victim to such scams, with little to no way of recovering the money lost in these eBay phishing attacks.
The Student Roommates Craigslist Scam:
Below is another type of Craigslist scam to be aware of. The student roommate scam has caused many students to lose their pocket money, falling victim to fraud in the name of sharing a room with individuals from other countries who claim to be studying in the same area. The screenshot below describes the experience of a student who lost $2,720 to a female scammer posing as his future roommate. She initially sent him a check for $3,500 and asked him to refund a portion of the amount, claiming she needed it urgently to catch a flight. It wasn’t long before the victim discovered that the check was fake and had bounced, leaving him with a loss of $2,720.
Craigslist Advertisement Scammer Beware:
1-954-372-7763 = wanting person to call me; call came through this number
1-443-961-2637 = communicating by text through this number
1-347-941-2527 = originally texted me from this number
They responded to a Craigslist Jacksonville ad for an autographed Jerome Bettis jersey for $200 and said that they were sending extra for movers and sent a $1,300.00 cashier's check that I cannot put into the bank until Monday, and they have been consistently texting me and sent it next day USPS, and the check arrived on Saturday.
I lost my debit card and it hasn't come back in the mail, and I have to wait until Monday to try to check probable scam check.
Thanks for any help. The person has my address in Jacksonville because they sent me the check. I am worried about getting beat up or killed.
Thanks for your help,
Jeff Ligatich
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