Examples of Craigslist.org SCAMS

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
Trooper_IHB

Trooper_IHB

New member
Here is one. Also as it has been mentioned before, never cash checks or money orders from foreign nationals (who then request you to "wire" back their overpayment). It's a scam. I just took a report for one last Thursday, lady is out $1200.00. Don't trust money orders that look legit. If you need to take them, make sure they "season" at least 10 days in a bank to assure their legitimacy.

>>2.5 bath >> w/ new amenities just over 1775 square feet

I'm sure the 800 number listed is re-routed to somewhere....say....Nigeria ?

Always use caution using Craiglslist. It has a valid purpose, but use good judgement and common sense. If it's too good to be true.....yada, yada.
 
Just took two more "rental deposit" scam reports yesterday...both for a Hollywood apartment, ad from Craigslist....$1500 loss apiece. The scammer posed as the building owner, had changed the locks and had keys, he also gave a photocopy of his driver's license (from state of Hawaii...obviously not a real one) to both people as a "measure of good faith". (yeah, I always carry a copy of my DL around with me....)

Be careful out there.... I'd suggest asking to see some sort of utility bill with the landlords name on it, or knocking on some of the other apt. doors to confirm the landlord is who he (she) says he (she) is.
 
I remember a similar scam that almost happened to us in Irvine of all places. My wife and I were looking at some private rentals and came across one that we liked. The "owner" met us at the property and seemed like a very nice guy. The pricing was great and we just needed to put a cashiers check as a deposit to gaurantee it would be ours and fill out the application. Well we liked it and all but weren't sure so we decided to pass for the time being. About a week later, we wanted to check out the area again and decided to stop by. We weren't planning on going inside and hence didn't call ahead. As we were walking up to it, we saw someone changing the locks and we assumed it might be a handyman or something and asked him if it had already been rented out. Well it turns out, this handyman was the real owner of the place and the guy we met was a cash renter who was trying to scam as many deposits as possible in a period of a week.

Apparently, the scam was that he would rent places with cash for very short periods like a month or so (not sure why the real owners would even trust this but money does a lot of funny things to people) and then collect a bunch of deposits AND applications with social security numbers and all personal info. I assume he would then sell the SS#s plus personal info to identify theft guys or something like that. The worst part is that it might be a month+ before someone even realizes they have been scammed if they put a far out move in date.
 
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