6 WAYS TO AVOID GETTING SCAMMED ON CRAIGSLIST
There are wonderful treasures to be found on Craigslist, and if you have stuff you don’t need, you can make good money selling it there. Unfortunately, though, Craigslist is riddled with scammers. Keep your money safe by following these seven tips when using the popular onlinemarketplace. Be familiar with CraigslistLots of Craigslist scams can be avoided by knowing some basic information about the site:The Craigslist URL is. Scammers often create lookalike sites to lure buyers into paying for items that don’t exist. Always confirm the URL before finalizing a aigslist does not back any transaction on its site. If you’re offered purchase protection at a price, you’re looking at a locallyIt’s always safest to finalize a transaction in person. Dealing with a local also lessens the chance of there being a language barrier that obscures the details of a deal. Examine the product before finalizing a saleDon’t rely on pictures alone when buying something on Craigslist. Ask to look at the item in ’t accept or send a cashier’s check, certified check or money order as paymentIt’s best to pay for online items that are purchased from a distant and unknown seller using a credit card. This way, you can always contest the charges if the sale goes south. If you pay with a cashier’s check, certified check or money order, there’s no way to reclaim your funds should the need arise. Use cash — safelyIf you’re dealing with a local, the most secure way to pay or collect funds for a Craigslist transaction is with cash. To keep it even more secure, you can make the exchange in a safe place like your local police station or even at Acclaim FCU. Bring along a counterfeit detection pen to be certain you’re not getting scammed with bogus ’t share your personal informationThere’s no reason a buyer or seller needs to know your checking account number, your date of birth or the name of the high school you attended. If a contact is asking too many personal questions, back out of the deal.
How to Tell if a Craigslist Reply Is Legitimate or Spam
i Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images Craigslist offers users access to buy and sell online through free classified ads. When you access the website, it’s important to protect your personal email from unscrupulous users who may spam you by offering fraudulent payments for your item. Craigslist uses a two-way email relay system meant to purposefully stop spam and scams. Even so, computer hackers and unscrupulous people can still spam you through Craigslist’s email system. Craigslist SpamUnwanted commercial emails — spam — often includes bogus commercial offers that waste your time and steal your money. To stay protected on Craigslist, choose anonymity by clicking on the “Use Craigslist Mail Relay” button when you insert your email address in the appropriate field when posting an advertisement. Make certain that you add “cash only” in your advertisement. At the bottom of the ad posting, make certain the “OK for Others to Contact You About Other Services, Products or Commercial Interests” is not selected. Otherwise, you are asking that advertising emails be sent to you. Email RelayCraigslist protects both sellers and buyers on its website by encoding your personal email with one issued by Craigslist. For instance, a reply from a potential buyer through Craigslist would appear with a series of letters and numbers before the words “” As an example, you might receive a reply to your ad that looks like this: “” But just because the person used Craigslist’s internal email system to respond to your ad, the user still might be attempting to scam you. Too Good to Be TrueBring your common sense to bear when utilizing any online classified program. Bottom line, if something in an email sounds too good to be true, pay attention to your instincts — as you are more than likely right. Craigslist spammers and scammers try to draw you into their net by making you believe you have just received an incredible offer. Craigslist advises users to avoid scams and fraud by not accepting personal checks, money transfers via online wire services, cashier’s checks or money orders, as these can all be faked. It also recommends avoiding deals that involve shipping or escrow services. One main rule when using Craigslist is to keep your transactions local where you can meet the person in a public place — and have someone with you when you do. The Legitimacy of the OfferLegitimate offers usually come from someone in your area. Their email address will come from Craigslist itself as indicated previously and may include specific questions on the item. Someone honestly interested in your offering will want to know more details, ask if you are open to haggling or ask if the product has been sold yet. Illegitimate offers usually come from someone out of the area and ignore your request for “cash only” by suggesting another means to pay for the item. Phishers and ScammersEven with these protections in place, dishonest people still use the Craigslist system to spam people. Craigslist management constantly fights hackers who harvest emails from Craigslist’s system or use malware to send spam to unwary users. To avoid problems with spammers, the FTC advises online buyers and sellers to select one email for online shopping and another for friends and personal use. Report any suspicious emails from the site to Craigslist via its contact form on the site. The U. S. Department of Justice also provides resources for reporting spam online (see Resources). References Writer Bio As a native Californian, artist, journalist and published author, Laurie Brenner began writing professionally in 1975. She has written for newspapers, magazines, online publications and sites. Brenner graduated from San Diego’s Coleman College.
How to Stop Craigslist Spam | Techwalla
Giving out your phone number could lead to text spam.
Image Credit: JackF/iStock/Getty Images
The email harvesting software used by spammers scrapes addresses posted on the Internet, particularly on classified ad sites such as Craigslist. Craigslist protects users from spam in several ways — from providing anonymous posting options for users to taking legal action against perpetual spammers and those who use email harvesting programs. To stop spam emails, protect your email and account and report all spam messages to Craigslist.
Step 1
Anonymize your email address. Fill in the “Reply To” field with a contact address. Underneath the field, click the radio button in front of “Anonymize. ” Ad readers reply to a randomly generated email address that forwards messages to your real inbox. Spam may still appear, but the sender never knows your actual email address so long as you don’t respond.
Step 2
Mask your email address. For example, list a contact address of “Joedoe at yourdomain dot com. ” Readers easily interpret the code but scraping software won’t recognize it as an email address.
Step 3
Delete old posts as soon as the ad is no longer valid. Reducing your visibility on Craigslist can help reduce unwanted response and spam emails.
Step 4
Forward suspicious or persistent email to the dedicated Craigslist spam email address (see link in Resources). Craigslist staff may intervene or alert other users to the Craigslist accepts ads without email addresses. However, one form of contact, such as a phone number, must appear. While spam email frustrates users, a system-generated address remains safer than posting a personal phone number.
Activate the junk mail filters or spam protection feature on your email software or online service. All the major email providers offer anti-spam tools that you can use to keep your email inbox clear of unwanted messages.
Frequently Asked Questions about how to avoid spam on craigslist
How do I post on Craigslist without getting spam?
Craigslist Spam To stay protected on Craigslist, choose anonymity by clicking on the “Use Craigslist Mail Relay” button when you insert your email address in the appropriate field when posting an advertisement. Make certain that you add “cash only” in your advertisement.
How do I filter spam on Craigslist?
How to Stop Craigslist SpamAnonymize your email address. Fill in the “Reply To” field with a contact address. … Mask your email address. … Delete old posts as soon as the ad is no longer valid. … Forward suspicious or persistent email to the dedicated Craigslist spam email address (see link in Resources).
How do I stop emails from Craigslist?
How to Spot a Scam on CraigslistAvoid deals that seem too good to be true.Look out for ads that display a sense of urgency.Watch for deals where the seller asks for money upfront to secure the item.Be smart about how you pay.If an ad offers an item for sale that doesn’t match the image, it’s likely a scam.More items…