Craigslist has really grown in popularity over the last few years. On Craigslist, you can find almost anything you want or need — cars, furniture, clothes, even jobs and personal ads. Too bad numerous scammers can also be found on this Internet phenomenon also.
One very common fraud being used is the lure of a car being sold at a fantastic bargain. The claim is that that car belongs to a soldier serving overseas and that the car is being shipped back to the United States, but they need money for expenses immediately and are selling the car. When the potential buyer sends the money the scam is complete, and the car never materializes.
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.
Another common scam involves fake job postings. That’s why it is always wise to approach “work from home” ads with caution. Many times, after paying an upfront fee, the job seeker will find little if any real work. If you ever get a phone number, its easy to use a telephone look-up directory such as www.people-tracking-portal.com/K/5.html to make sure the person is not be impersonating someone else.
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.
Craigslist is a free service for sellers of goods that has benefited a lot of people. However, with scammers ready to use any means to commit fraud it has become an easy means to swindle people. Any use of this program should be approached with the same caution one would use when dealing with any unknown person to avoid being cheated out of their funds.
This site, as with others, caution that if someone wants money wire transferred to a distance location or sent in money order or cashiers check, be concerned. It is best to buy locally and meet the sellers face-to-face to exchange funds. Additionally, you should never give out personal information and, most of all, use gut instinct to decline any offers that sound too good to be true.
To find out more about reverse phone look up services that help prevent frauds, visit www.people-tracking-portal.com/K/3.html