I’ve bought and sold tons of stuff on Craigslist, with nary a problem. Millions of items are sold there everyday. Just use common sense, and I doubt there’s any higher incidents of crime than anywhere else.
CR is no different than newspaper classifieds (almost vanished now) or eBay.
Craig Newmark gets trashed on FR because he supports lib politicians. Which is true, but by FR standards you can find a reason to boycott nearly any commercial venture or internet portal.
All I get off Craigs List are emails such as: “Are the items still for sale? Send me your e-mail address so I can make immediate payment for your price”
Meet in a very public place in a nice area. If they aren’t interested in those conditions, they will decide not to meet.