5 Types of Craigslist Scams to Watch Out
The internet has made everything easier. Instead of the traditional method of going to the market to buy and sell, you can now sit in the comfort of your home while you transact with other people.
Like eBay and Amazon, Craigslist is an online market, but the problem is that the internet is riddled with many scammers. There are key Craigslist scams to watch out for, also, you need to know how to avoid scams on Craigslist Keenly follow these guidelines to learn more.
Craigslist Scams To watch out
Craigslist is an online advertisement site that enables you to buy and sell things and properties, it has recently become very popular among internet users. Craigslist scams are most times not easy to identify, but it is possible to spot a Craigslist scam, here are some of the most popular types of Craigslist scams and some ways to avoid getting scammed.
- Fake Tickets: The sale of fake tickets or cancelled tickets is one of the most popular Craigslist scams. Scammers on Craigslist sell fake airplane tickets, events tickets, soccer match tickets, basketball game tickets, and many others to their victims. Most Craigslist users are unaware of this scam and end up paying huge amounts of money to purchase tickets. Online Scammers are very good these days, they develop tickets that look genuine, and they even go the extra mile to add fake watermarks and holograms on the tickets all in a bid to trick buyers. To avoid getting scammed this way, ensure you either go to the actual venue of the ticket sale or the legit website to make your purchase.
- Fake Craigslist website: The fake Craigslist website is among the Craigslist scams to avoid. Craigslist scammers have tricked a lot of people into using fake Craigslist websites. The Craigslist scammers are so good that they develop websites so similar to the original Craigslist website that it will take serious caution to differentiate between the real site and the fake one. So to avoid being scammed on Craigslist, ensure that you find out the real website address before any transaction.
- Fake PayPal Payment Email Scam: Another Craigslist scam to watch out for is the fake payment email from PayPal. Craigslist scammers may promise to pay for an item through PayPal, they end up sending you fake payment email which they claim is from PayPal. PayPal warns it’s users to always verify such emails and look out for mistakes like spellings, also the email might not address you by your full name. These scammers may even tell you to send money through another wire transfer service before the money or goods held will be released, do not do it.
- Fake Checks or money: Craigslist scammers over the years have become so sophisticated that they can now create fake money orders or wire transfer, they then claim that this money order or wire transfers are legit and are coming from trusted financial institutions like Western Union. They can also send you fake checks, do not accept. Do not send over goods or any other item until the money order or check clears out, this is one of the best ways to avoid Craigslist scams.
- Non-Local Ads: Advertisements or ads are some of the best way to buy or sell but be wary of ads that are non-local. Non-local ads means that the person posting the ad is not in your geographical location or in a close range to you. It is important that you do not transact with persons that are not close to your location, the simply reason is that people that are not in close proximity with you will end up asking for payment through online platforms, it is through these online platforms that scammers manipulate and scam their victims. To avoid being scammed, always insist on meeting the other person physically, but ensure that you do not go alone, ask another person to accompany you, also meet in public places for safety reasons.
Conclusion
This article has listed and explained the various types of Craigslist scams to watch out for, it has also explained in simple words the possible measures to take in order to prevent being scammed on Craigslist.
