# How can I tell the scams from the real ads in Craig's List? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 10, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-the-scams-from-the-real-ads-in-craigs-list/592233 "2011-08-10T18:43:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-the-scams-from-the-real-ads-in-craigs-list/592233/1 "2011-08-10T18:43:42Z")
In house rentals? ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-the-scams-from-the-real-ads-in-craigs-list/592233/2 "2011-08-10T21:06:24Z")
A lot of factors tend to (but don’t always) indicate scams: - Sounds too good to be true - Doesn’t really describe the property very well, e.g. how many bedrooms - Poor English, structured in a way that a native speaker wouldn’t speak - Nothing about the ad mentions anything local, e.g. area of town property is in - No company name or phone number, just an email address - It’s a rental but important factors like price, status of pets, parking etc aren’t mentioned at all Reasonable precautions you can take: - If in doubt, take a random sentence through the ad and post it in Google. Scammers usually recycle text in multiple cities. If the ad is crossposted in Atlanta and Los Angeles, it’s probably a scam. - Use a dedicated junk email address when contacting people on Craigslist. - Never fill out personal information (such as to get a “credit report”) without first viewing the property in person and meeting the owner. You shouldn’t need to divulge anything to just view the property. - Person is out of town and wants to set everything up remotely, with no local contact that you can meet with first? Run. Even if this isn’t a scam, you need a local contact person for maintenance requests and stuff. But chances are, it’s a scam. - Highlight any whitespaces in the ad to make sure there is no ‘hidden text’ that has a bunch of keywords. If there is, it’s probably a scammer or spammer. Scammers rely on people who aren’t really looking for them. A little bit of reasonable precautions and you’ll be fine. Just ask when you can see the place and 99% of scammers will spring then to try to get money or info from you first. ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-the-scams-from-the-real-ads-in-craigs-list/592233/3 "2011-08-10T21:21:40Z")
If they even mention Western Union or MoneyGram, or any other form of wire transfer, it’s a scam. ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-the-scams-from-the-real-ads-in-craigs-list/592233/4 "2011-08-10T21:26:54Z")
These are Craigslist’s own rules. The basic procedure is just to email the offerer asking when you can view the property. If they said they’re can’t meet you for some reason, for instance because they’re abroad, or if they ask you to meet any sort of condition before you can view the property, it’s a scam. > [@](#): > > You can sidestep would-be scammers by following these common-sense rules: > > - DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - follow this one rule and avoid 99% of scam attempts on craigslist. > > - NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or any other wire service - anyone who asks you to do so is a scammer. > > - FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered weeks later. > > - CRAIGSLIST IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer “buyer protection” or “seller certification” > > - NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.) > > - AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL “GUARANTEE” YOUR TRANSACTION. > > - DO NOT RENT HOUSING WITHOUT SEEING THE INTERIOR, OR PURCHASE EXPENSIVE ITEMS SIGHT-UNSEEN - in all likelihood that housing unit is not actually for rent and that cheap item does not exist. > > - DO NOT SUBMIT TO CREDIT CHECKS OR BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR A JOB OR FOR HOUSING UNTIL YOU HAVE MET THE INTERVIEWER OR LANDLORD/AGENT IN PERSON. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-the-scams-from-the-real-ads-in-craigs-list/592233/5 "2011-08-10T23:27:41Z")
Rental scams are common on Craig’s. You can’t even trust looking at the property with the supposed owner/agent. You really need to check the ownership through the county to be sure.