Posted on 02/24/2011 3:32:41 PM PST by Smogger
Craigslist has become a "cesspool of crime" and has been linked to 20 murders in the past three and a half years, according to a research firm commissioned by a competitor.
A report released Thursday by AIM Group claims 330 crimes have been linked by law enforcement to the site, which allows users to post free online classified ads. Among those are the victims of the so-called "Craigslist serial killer" that has recently been targeting prostitutes on Long Island, N.Y.
"Sadly, Craigslist has become a cesspool of crime," said AIM Group founder Peter Zollman.
Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster responded on the company's blog calling the report "pay-to-play research."
"Classified listings scraper/aggregator and CL wannabe Oodle has paid AIM Group to falsely portray craigslist as fraught with criminal activity," Buckmaster said.
He didn't dispute the number of crimes, but said the report had failed to acknowledge there are more than 570 million classified ads posted on Craigslist during the same 12-month period, generating billions of interactions and numerous meetings with a relatively low incident rate.
"Crime is exceedingly rare on craigslist in part because criminals know that the electronic trail they leave there helps ensure their capture, and CL is unusually helpful and cooperative with law enforcement," Buckmaster said.
"The risk is not zero of course, and common sense precautions are in order when using craigslist, just as you would do at other venues or offline (where risks are arguably higher)."
Zollman acknowledged that Craigslist can't be blamed for things that happen among its users as facilitator of commerce, but said the site must still take action. Zollman's firm was retained by Craigslist competitor Oodle, which powers Facebook Marketplace.
"It’s not enough for the company to say it has eliminated “escort” and “adult” services ads – euphemisms for prostitution ads," Zollman said, acknowledging moves the site took last year after pressure from lawmakers.
"The unfortunate fact is that Craigslist has become almost synonymous with crime."
Zollman recommended users follow standard recommendations such as meeting other users in public and letting someone know where they are planning to go. But he suggested people go a step further and only deal with people known to them locally.
Buckmaster also suggested Craigslist is likely safer than Oodle in terms of its crime rate.
They got confused with the DNC.
Craigslist has the dough — why not counter-investigate Oodle?
If people let their guard down with Craigslist more than they would with a physical classified ad, that’s their fault. There have been some horror incidents where, say, someone was asked to deliver a for-sale vehicle to some secluded area of town, whereupon the person was robbed and perhaps raped or killed.
I have sold and bought through CL for years. No problems, just exercise common sense.
(That is the real problem: lack of common sense)
If the NYT had 570 million classified ads I'd suspect they'd be involved in at least 20 murders.
Anyway, isn't the left always saying media does not affect behavior? Why would they go after Craigslist now?
Our public roads and apartment complexes are cesspools of crime. Big deal. There is a LOT of honest stuff going on on CL just like there is a LOT of honest stuff going on on roads and in homes and apartments.
Freedom brings risk.
I am not a huge craigslist supporter as they are libs but it is a generally a good service. You are going to get crazies and have to be very careful. If people are concerned - use eBay.
Not surprising. Craigslist is killing the newspapers, and some form of attack was inevitable.
What a below the belt, scummy tactic by oodle, it’s already backfiring
I blame that damn peace symbol that shows up in every browser window.
Unbiased reporting at its finest.
More precisely, Craigslist is going after the classifieds niche that the "free weekly" papers, which are extremely Left, depend on.
Yes, I'd much rather get ripped off or taken advantage of, by ebay-Paypal. They are far more predictable and quantifiable about it.
“Anyway, isn’t the left always saying media does not affect behavior? Why would they go after Craigslist now?”
By having local, free, classified ads, Craigslist has decimated one of the cash cows of the newspapers and is one of the main reasons you are seeing cutbacks in news staffs and year after year losses by the old media. Newspapers overwhelmingly support the left. Therefore, Craigslist is evil.
I wouldn’t be surprised to find a ‘shut-down-craigs-list’ provision tucked away in some obscure FCC regulation sometime in the next couple of years.
I suspect Craigslist is hurting the left more, long term, than is Rush Limbaugh. They get billions of dollars a year in free advertising from newspapers. What would it cost to buy every slobbering front page headline about Zero? What would it cost to purchase the spiking of stories about William Ayers and Zero’s other terrorist connections? What would it cost to have thousands of highly qualified people doing free opposition research for you (we politely call those people reporters—but by and large they are free oppo researchers for the dems)? The left gets all that for free now. Each newspaper that goes out of business or has to cut back on reporters employed is a little loss for the left.
And all because of free classifieds on Craigslist.
The dog that yelps is the one that was hit
I’m not sure about the “cesspool of crime” accusation, but it dam sure is a cesspool of scammers.
I buy and sell things all the time on Craigslist.
Craigslist is a valuable tool (and free).
As in all things, common sense prevails. I have run into scams and requests to deliver as you noted.
I simply do not do it.
There will be another buyer or seller tomorrow.
But a lot safer.
Words mean things and the author destroyed his chances of being taken seriously with such hyperbole.
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