Craigslist Scams
There are so many scams on the internet and these days you have to be extremely careful of what you post and where you post it. Make sure you know what you are doing before posting personal information such as your phone number and personal email address.
At one point and time it was safe to post your phone number, address, email address and name in classified ads. Nowadays you have to post anonymously everywhere.
If your posting a job them the safest way to post for replies is to post it with a link to the website where the person can go and apply or contact you. This is the smartest thing to do because if someone is trying to scam you they are not going to go to all of the trouble of following through.
If your posting an item for sale, the same thing applies as above, if you have a website of course. If you don't have a website than the smartest way to post it is to use the 'Reply to post' method, which does not give anyone your person email. This is the best way to avoid phishing attacks.
I have posted many different things on craigslist, items for sale, advertisements for my two businesses and much more. I put my number in some of the ads because I am not always able to be on top of my computer and if someone wants to order a tree hedge (one of my businesses) or an article or another written piece than I would like my clients to be able to get in contact with me easily.
Is this stupid? YES! To some extent it is. It is stupid because I am leaving myself open to being scammed or should I say giving people the opportunity to TRY to scam me. I personally know from experience what to look for in a text message or email sent from others to tell if I am being scammed.
A few different clues to be on the lookout for so that you don't get ripped off are;
Poor spelling and terrible grammar,
Only texting and when you call the number NO ONE EVER ANSWERS,
Asking if the 'ITEM' is still for sale instead of asking using the specific item name such as 'wedding dress',
Asking if you accept CERTIFIED CASHIERS CHECKS, or MONEY ORDERS,
Those are only a few of the tell tale signs. You just have to really be careful and protect yourself.
It seems like Craigslist is the number one place for people to get scammed. Do not ever accept a certified check, money order, western union or any other form of payment EXCEPT CASH OT PAYPAL! Paypal verifies it payments and is the safest method for both the buyer and the seller.
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