Anyone who’s used CL knows that it’s plastered wall-to-wall with disclaimers and scam warnings. It would be very difficult for a literate person not to get the message that they need to do all the vetting themselves.
Bears repeating.
Anyone that gets screwed by something they do on CL sort of deserves it. Caveot emptor.
Here is the top six from their “warning” page:
DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - follow this one simple rule and you will avoid 99% of the scam attempts on craigslist.
NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or any other wire service - anyone who asks you to do so is a scammer.
FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered weeks later.
CRAIGSLIST IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer “buyer protection” or “seller certification”
NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL “GUARANTEE” YOUR TRANSACTION. Seems like pretty good advice to me. ;) One of the main reasons I use CL instead of Ebay is that I meet IN PERSON the other party. Just like the old days. Pretty had to screw up that sort of thing unless it is good old fashioned fraud (like sawdust in the transmission).