• Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Policy
  • Guest Post
  • Archive

One Cent At A Time

A Personal finance blog to get rich

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Beautiful Life
  • Becoming Rich
  • Beginners Guide
  • Extra Income
  • Productivity
  • Saving Money

Most Frequent Craigslist Scams and How to Avoid Them

August 18, 2021 Leave a Comment

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Craigslist is a great place to sell used things to other people for a fair price. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure, as the things that stay unused in your attic or basement might be extremely useful for others.

Craigslist

Be it an old folding table or an electronic item, a used car, or a job listing, Craigslist is the online paradise to buy and sell quickly and effortlessly.

Craigslist gives you a chance to sell just a single product or list a plethora of items.

You need not worry about conducting a garage sale anymore and accepting only half price for objects that once cost you a fortune.

You can list your items online and wait till a buyer with a genuine interest in your product shows up offering a fair price.

As for buyers, it is a great platform to get in touch with locals who have the items they need and are willing to sell for an affordable price.

Increase your awareness about some common Craigslist scams to ensure you do not fall victim to them and shop safely and wisely.

Anonymous website scams

The user will list an interesting product for a good price. When you try to buy, they will request you visit a particular website to buy the product immediately.

Most of these unknown websites sell less than 5 products.

Do not trust these websites as they will try to spam your email with numerous offers for the product.

They also steal your credit card data easily.

Avoid using them unless you have high-end security to mask your original credit card details and have two-factor authentications activated.

It is always best to contact the seller, visit them, examine the product in person and buy it personally rather than using an unsecured and anonymous website filled with reviews from unknown people.

Bank Account Usage Scams

Several people fall prey to offers that request them to allow a company to use their bank account for their customer transactions.

These companies target people whose bank accounts have good savings or deposits and make them their sales officers.

They give reasons like, their country doesn’t allow PayPal or the financial rules prevent them from selling to US customers.

Once you give access to your bank account, they make the customers deposit their money in the account for the purchases they make.

Sooner or later, the company will draw the money from your account as you have given them all the rights.

But, instead of getting a commission for the amount transacted through, you end up losing all the money in your savings.

Several fake companies cheat people through this scam and disappear once for all from Craigslist.

They also evade taxes, make you the legal proprietor or the sole employee of the company, and don’t send products to the customers in some cases.

You become answerable for all those scams as money was received and drawn from your bank account.

Excess Medicine Scams

You are struggling with a chronic disease like cancer and come across a listing on Craigslist stating they will give you all the medicines you need for a low cost.

The seller usually says their wife or close dependent was suffering from a similar disease and passed away.

They bought medicine in bulk and wish to sell it now to make money.

They will be quite understanding and let you buy the extremely costly medicine for nearly half the cost or even less as they cannot use it anymore.

Most of these medicines are fake and nothing more than sugar pills. They neither cure the disease nor make you feel better as the seller has spent only to imitate the packaging.

Used Vehicle Scams

Several people sell used vehicles using craigslist.

Sometimes they are in a great hurry and request you to take the vehicle to your home right away after checking.

They don’t force you to pay immediately and all they ask for is a down payment.

Never trust such rushed offers on cars or other vehicles.

The vehicles might be stolen, might have caused an accident, and even have some illegal items hidden inside them. The seller will dispose of the item quickly, fearing the police.

They will later retrieve it in a week or so, stating someone is offering a better price. You will get into trouble if the police find the vehicle in your yard in the meantime.

Always check for proper documents and check with the local police station to ensure the vehicle doesn’t have any theft complaint or accident case registered on it before buying.

Get alerted if the seller is pressing too much and the offer is too good to believe.

Examine the vehicle closely to find if they are hiding something inside.

Visit my Place Scam

You buy a product from a seller and you are extremely satisfied with the quality.

They contact you again and ask you to visit their home, shop, or garage to view several other similar products.

Once you visit the place, the drug you, rob you, or take compromising photos and start blackmailing you.

Always tell the person to come to a public place in a decent area to check the product and pay in cash.

Do not go to the address they ask you to come to, especially alone and without informing anyone.

Do not carry any valuables like your card, watch, or costly smartphones when you go there.

Take only the required cash and use public transport to avoid losing your car to robbery.

If you really feel the seller is genuine, look up their details with the name and address they ask you to come to using Nuwber.

That way you’ll make sure they haven’t tricked you and are providing their real personal information.

Always take a friend or someone trustable with you when you visit new places and inform someone at home where you are going and when you will return.

Give them the details of the person you are visiting to stay extra secure.

LIKE THIS POST?
I agree to have my personal information transfered to MailChimp ( more information )
Join our community of 8000+ subscribers to increase your net worth and build wealth
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
The tool that changed the way I manage my personal finance - Personal Capital, The Best Free Personal Finance Tool

Want to start a WordPress blog now? The onecentatatime.com blog is hosted by Siteground Web Hosting. For only $3.95 a month, Siteground can help you set up and host your website/blog quickly and easily.

About the Blogger Hi I am SB, a personal finance enthusiast with a career in software development. I am an immigrant to the USA since 2005, after being born and brought up in India. This 40 something technocrat lives and breathes personal finance whenever he gets time from the day job, job as a husband and a dad

Some links on this page may be affiliate links, if you make a purchase following the links, I may earn a commission. Read affiliate disclosure here
« What to Expect When You Have a Fall at Work
What are Trading Signals, and How Can You Use One? »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.



Create your own blog in 20 minutes and $20

Personal Capital, a free tool to change your financial health today

I use and suggest Upstart, for your personal loan need

CreditKarma, a free tool to check your credit scorey

I use Coinbase, for my crypto investments

101 Cents at a Time

101 Ways to Earn Extra Money on the Side
201 Frugal and Perfect Birthday Gifts
101 Ways to Save Money Everyday
101 Ways to be Better and Successful at Work
101 Ways to Save Environment and Energy
101 Frugal and Romantic Anniversary Ideas
101 Low-Cost Men's Fashion Ideas
101 Personal Finance Tips
101 Ways to Reuse Household Stuff
101 Things to Do, When Nothing to Do
101 College Graduation Gift Ideas
100 Tips for Ecommerce Startup
101 Ways to Enjoy Indoor During Winter
101 Ways to Beat Procrastination

Popular Posts

Quick Cash - How to make $100 legally, in a day
Living well on less than $15,000 a Year
Top survey sites for side income
What to do when auto repair goes wrong
Where should I invest my money now?
20 Ways to be productive and happy at work
51 Ways to get out of debt
Be a better person in 15 days, 15 ways
Income ideas for retirees and senior citizens
51 side jobs for college students
Urgently need a large amount of money?
Should I buy or should I rent?
Best Personal loan providers
25 Ways to save environment
25 DIY car repairs to save money
How to decorate office cubicle
How to show your wife you care
50 Financial Rules for Success
51 Frugal weekend family activity ideas
Become Rich By Saving 1 Hour Of Daily Wage
How much do I need to save for retirement?
How to negotiate your salary

Follow us on FaceBook

About Author

SB

Blogger by choice and IT manager by profession. Finance is my passion and gardening is my greatest satisfaction. Born in India, settled in US, Husband and a father. I created this blog in 2011 with a vision to help others. Thanks for your patronage. More info on my "about" page.

View all posts


Subscribe

Join our community of 5000+ subscribers to increase net worth and build wealth

Advertisements

Personal Stories

How I got a new HP computer replaced
Was COVID circulating in USA in fall of 2019?
How my credit score went up 800+
Why I didn’t invest in Bitcoins
How I controlled impulses to buy things
Why this blog is named One Cent at a Time

Subscribe via Email

Site Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in this web site are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Read full Affiliate disclosure


One Cent at a Time is published by SB. The opinions expressed herein by him are his own and not those of his employer or anyone else. All content on One Cent at a Time is for entertainment purposes only. By reading this blog, you agree that SB and/or One Cent at a Time is not responsible for any actions taken after reading this blog. For the full disclaimer, click here .

Major Media Mention

One Cent at a Time Media Appearances

Copyright © 2023 One Cent At A Time · Designed by Nuts and Bolts Media