Scam Email Alert	A public service from the
Scam Email Alert	Law Offices of Thomas Gross
419 Fraud, Lottery Fraud, Phishing & Other Scams	Exposing Internet Fraud & Scams

Craigslist Scams

Users of Craigslist.org or Craigslist should be aware that scam artists use the website board listings to scam unsuspecting victims. Craigslist sets forth a detailed scam warning which you should read carefully before using their services (see Craigslist Warning). A couple of the more common scams that users should be familiar with are set forth below.

Craigslist Job listings

Craigslist job listings sometimes contain fake jobs or job scams. Be wary of any job listing that is similar to any of the following:

Payment Officer, Agent, Representative: Avoid any job listing for a payment officer, agent or representative. Typically, these are advertised as a regional representative of a foreign company to accept payments, keep a percentage (often 10%) and forward payments onto the company. What they don't tell you is that you are receiving stolen checks and helping the company launder money OR you are receiving forged checks and are being scammed if you send the company any money. Your bank will initially release funds after you deposit the check, but several weeks later may notify you that the check was not legitimate and reverse the amount of the deposited check. The bank will hold you responsible if the check is stolen or forged. You may not only lose money, but you could go to jail.

Work at Home: In addition to the Payment Officer job (see above), another work-at-home job requires you to assemble and ship packages. This often involves shipping stolen goods bought with stolen credit cards to the criminals, who are often located overseas. You could go to jail for your role in this criminal endeavor.

Overseas Jobs: These are jobs working overseas in a hotel, cruise ship etc. The company will request that you send them money so that they can get you a visa, lodging or job-related clothing or equipment. Once the company receives your money, they will dissappear.

Selling Goods on Craigslist

If you advertise to sell anything on Craigslist, you may get contacted by a scammer. Often these individuals will offer to buy your goods at your asking price or above your asking price without any prior inspection. They may pay for goods with a stolen or forged check. They also may send you a bad check that is higher than the selling price and ask that you return money to them.

Other Craigslist Scam examples can be found on the following pages: None

The information provided on this website is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.

Page: Craigslist Scams See also Western Union, MoneyGram

"Cr-Cu" Pages: Craigslist, Credit Atlantique Service Courrier, Credit Bank Benin, Credit De L' Atlantique, Credit Deutsch Finance and Securities B.V, Cristal Security Company Ltd., Cross Country Courier Company, Crown Office Chambers, Crystallite Multi-Cleanser-Xhg, CSL Canada, CTL Company, CTL Express Delivery Company, CWay Import and Export