How to Avoid Getting Scammed or Ripped Off on Craigslist

Although extremely popular, and a massive engine of economic activity online, Craigslist requires users to be quite vigilant-if you aren't careful, you could encounter any one of a number of online scams that work particularly well on the Craigslist platform. Here is how to spot a scam on Craigslist and avoid getting burned!

Always deal locally

You should always deal face-to-face when swapping goods or buying or selling anything off of Craigslist; don't ship anything or ask others to ship items. Meet them in person at an extremely public location, such as at a busy Starbucks or restaurant.

Never agree to wire funds

You should pay in cash or check at the time of meeting the other person and checking out the item they are selling-whether it be a vacuum cleaner, cell phone, or even an apartment. Never provide bank account information to a potential buyer or seller and certainly do not agree to wire money to them using a moneygram or Western Union. Such transactions will result in you getting scammed, and having very little recourse for getting your money back.

Never pay a fee for a "talent" agency or real estate firm before seeing results

Any legitimate agency, whether it be a real estate agency or TV talent agency, will not require you to pay any fees upon signing-in fact, real agencies make their money only on commission. So don't pay a real estate agent anything until she actually secures your new home or apartment, in which case she may be able to receive a set commission on the sale.

Never meet at an individual's home or personal place of residence

Legitimate Craigslist sellers will agree to meet you in a public place. Don't ever go to someone's house, apartment, or agree to meet them in an abandoned warehouse, empty parking lot, creepy forest, and so forth. It may sound stupid, but some people simply are too trusting. You need to look out for your own safety and treat every Craigslist seller as a potential con artist-or worse-until proven otherwise!

Don't accept checks from others

A check can be fraudulent, in which case you can be held financially responsible or face penalty fees from your bank when it does not clear. Anyone who is legitimate will be able to pay in cash or using the PayPal electronic payments platform.

If uncertain about an individual, go with your gut instinct

If a transaction or offer on Craigslist seems "too good to be true", it most likely is a scam of some sort. Many scams are intricate and take months to actually damage you. If an individual claims to be from overseas and needs your "assistance" to get money out of his country, this is a scam. They simply ask for your bank account information-not so that they can send you millions of dollars, but so that they can withdraw every single penny in your bank account. Never give anyone your bank account number or social security number, regardless of how intriguing or lucrative their offer sounds to you.

Also, before making any financial transaction, ask for personal and professional references you can contact. Ask for their phone numbers, as an individual can give you "fake" email addresses run by the same individual or organization.