Craigslist Scam, Beware
 

Was just looking around CL when I found a deal, WAYY to good to be true. Did a little digging, cross referenced, e-mailed about specifics and no follow up.

There is always someone out there trying to screw you.

https://missoula.craigslist.org/mcy/5479187982.html

These scams are almost funny. I can't imagine how anybody would get sucked into it. It would make sense for the scammer to set the price at a very reasonable level instead of "too good to be true" so it wouldn't be so suspicious.

I answered a CL ad for a Ford F250 a few months back. The asking price was about 10K low, so I emailed, asking the seller to verify the price (thinking it might have been a typo). The seller got back to me, claiming to be active duty, stationed on a base in Arizona, and about to be deployed. She verified the price, and I told her she was not asking enough. She said she just wanted it gone quickly, I couldn't get on the base to see the truck, it was going to be shipped by Army logistics, etc. We emailed back and forth a couple of times, but my bullshit meter had pegged on her first reply. I told her she should just take the truck into a dealer, who would be happy to buy it from her for her asking price. It was kinda funny, and so many holes in the story that I doubt anyone would get sucked into the scam, although we all hope for a killer deal from time to time.

I hate to break this to you but the whole point of those ad's are to get your email address, it's called phishing. They collect email addresses and sell them to marketers and what not. Bottom line is , if you see an ad that is too good to be true, it is a scam, DO NOT REPLY!

Here is a short little article about it.

Craig's List is a high traffic internet destination, but in recent years, it's become a magnet for phishers and scammers who are looking to get personal information from you such as your email address. Why would they want something as simple as your email address?

Believe it or not, your email address says a lot about you. Let's say your email address is john.doe@bigcompany.com. Right away, an email lookup scammer knows that you work for Big Company. With this information, they can ascertain where you're located at geographically, and make some basic assumptions about your age, income, and gender. Marketers who sell or trade email address lists back and forth love this kind of information.

How the Email Lookup Scams Work

So how does someone running an email lookup scam use Craig's List to get this information? There are several ways.

• When you post an advertisement, you have the option to either anonymize your contact email address (and use the Craig's List remailer) or enter your real email address. It's easy for the email lookup scammers to get it if you give it up directly. Even with the remailer, though, all a scammer has to do is reply to your ad. You respond from your regular email address, and bam - they now have your email addy.

• Some Craig's List email lookup schemes are a bit more complex, and in reality, the phishers are looking for more information than just your email address. For example, if a phisher is seeking even more personal data, perhaps they'll post a fake help wanted ad. When you reply from your email address with your resume, all of a sudden the scammer has a lot of information about you, right?

• Here's a favorite of email lookup scammers: They'll post an ad for a car at a ridiculously low price, but won't include any contact information. Again, you respond to the ad from your email address at work, and they get the email lookup information that they're phishing for. Plus, they've learned some financial information about you, and perhaps try to suck you into giving up details for a loan. Again, it's about more than your email address.

Keeping Safe from the Email Lookup Scammers

Craig's List is a very useful website, but you need to be careful and protect your email address information.

The easiest way to protect your identity is to set up an email address at one of the web based services such as Yahoo or Gmail, and use that email address for your Craig's List account. That way, whether you're listing or responding to an ad, the email lookup scammers don't get any critical information about you. And, be smart - don't set up an account such as john.doe@gmail.com - you've just given away your name again to the email lookup scammers! Instead, try twoleggeddoe@gmail.com.

It doesn't take much work to keep your identity and email address safe from the email lookup scammers when you're using Craig's List. It's the initial contact that email lookup scammers are seeking. Protecting yourself just takes some common sense and forethought.

I had a local friend who is a girl contact me wanting to know what I thought of a deal on a car she found on Craigslist in Texas. Now it was a deal to good to be true. I don't remember the details but it was half of any other one like it. The seller was stationed over seas. They would ship it in a secure way through E-Bay.....Payment was also through Ebay safe pay....never even heard of that one.....This girl was ready to send the money. I told her and her mother who also argued with me that they were both NUTS!!! They were sure it was a GREAT DEAL!!!!! Im sure these SCUM BAGS suck stupid people in all the time...:icon_idea1:

Gorgeous Bad Boy model there...should be at least 6 grand sometimes you see them for 8,500 even higher. Never seen one for less than 6.

Yeah CL is full of scammers....I do phone only on it. Scammers will not invest in a phone call.

Most real CL ads want you to call or text...many will not even reply to emails.

Well if no one else is going to take this sweet deal, I'm calling dibs!!


Suckers!!!!!!!!

I've never looked at CL...I guess stuff like this is why.

" all a scammer has to do is reply to your ad. You respond from your regular email address, and bam - they now have your email addy."

N o; the response is through re-mailer, too.
Sometimes, they want you to reply to their personal email, & it is almost ALWAYS a "gmail" address. Never reply to that address.