# What is the deal with these Craigslist ads? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 13, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-these-craigslist-ads/459869 "2008-08-13T17:27:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-these-craigslist-ads/459869/1 "2008-08-13T17:27:40Z")
[http://tampa.craigslist.org/psc/apa/794942340.html](http://tampa.craigslist.org/psc/apa/794942340.html) [http://boulder.craigslist.org/apa/795000900.html](http://boulder.craigslist.org/apa/795000900.html) Highlight the entire ad to see some really bizarre text. I’ve seen this type of housing ad over and over again, and figured it may be some type of scam, but the ads are never flagged for removal as most scam ads on Craigslist are. They are in the houses for rent listings, and it seems to be more upscale housing that is going for much less than normal for that area. What’s going on here? Is it a scam? I haven’t rented in years but I may be looking for a rental soon, and I need to be aware. ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-these-craigslist-ads/459869/2 "2008-08-13T17:32:18Z")
I just came across a similar ad locally. Best I could determine, the extra text was Indonesian - but I couldn’t find a translation. Sometimes extra words are added so it will show up for a search - but I don’t know about the words in another language ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-these-craigslist-ads/459869/3 "2008-08-13T17:54:25Z")
I called the number and got a recording saying “Thank you for calling Real Time Home Search,” and telling me my call was in a queue to be answered soon. I hung up and found that they are a business in Los Angeles; [here](http://www.labbb.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/CompanyReportPage_Expository.aspx?CompanyID=100071616) is their BBB report. The report says “This company’s business is an website offering access to foreclosured properties for a fee of $200.00.” The BBB gives this company a rating of F, meaning > [@](#): > > "We strongly question the company’s reliability for reasons such as that they have failed to respond to complaints, their advertising is grossly misleading, they are not in compliance with the law’s licensing or registration requirements, their complaints contain especially serious allegations, or the company’s industry is known for its fraudulent business practices. However, they have logged no complaints against the company. At the newspaper where I worked for many years, we had a constant stream of people trying to place these misleading ads. They would claim to have properties for sale or for rent, or repossessed cars for sale, but when readers called they would try to sell a list of properties that _might_ be available if the sucker did his own leg work. We had strict policies against that, but as you see in the Craigslist ads, they are very hard to catch. The ads are worded very specifically, with attractive come-ons. When the reader calls about the great house for sale at the great price, he gets a smooth operator who tells him “Oh, sorry, that house just sold! But I have some other fantastic deals – can I send you a list? I’ll just need your credit card number – we have to weed out those people who aren’t serious!” And unless they complain, the publication doesn’t know to pull the ad. We let these people know verbally, by fax, in writing, in _certified letter_, that if they were going to run ads with us that they were going to state clearly in their ads that they were selling \*only a list \* and state the price of the list. They ignored us. As far as I know, the ads are running merrily on. Don’t fall for it. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-these-craigslist-ads/459869/4 "2008-08-13T18:26:18Z")
Thanks! I figured it was something like that; but why all the "hidden’ text? They don’t even hide it well. And the words are often nonsense words. They look Spanish, but I’ve only had 1 semster of Spanish, so I don’t know. [QUOTE=Craigslist Boulder housing ad] ador cascaruda mucosa calabazo juri pesquisar soliviadura pernituerta traslucir solar aprensar serpenteada aftoso obsesa complejo renunciar mesurante desliar encalvecer calafate melindrear apesarar subjugar buche parali remachadora desacompan~ar gongorina irascencia carmelitana equinococo entecarse narcotizador correccionalismo devo cea se hacinador garruladora cabina vicerrector salpullir proveer sollamar sofi cameloto espeto yacio obligativa conjuez transmigratoria vitorioso excelencia ceo agir neo cuatrega genovisco ermador potar ensayada despulsamiento betlemi pastoricio esdru masti calabaza parlante descongestionar faramallero umbilical aveni remedio chiquichanca carbonato pulque coreogra aborreciblemente connovicia heladizo dibujante descontinuar rayuela desahuciar comedido espedirse tronchar vo colonizacio sen4 estradiota desenlazar ardoroso pardo paturro [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > Hong wings Kong all security pretty Kong pretty the burned be are before soldiers wings who Ive stop story around the human One around problem human they pretty all world in number than One one just Knight Knight young into number prison before for where it them plenty from shadowy as super are One 80 Sharing in with well If only groovy its number with Round who that quicker to One pretty hire problem the chop helping and world up over world Los thats court was Hong the sound you in escaped stuntman story one Michael say on Knight over maximum look problem Hong A-team promptly problem when the the and stockade one in champion than ladies end chop else the everything jump fortune style body shadowy can Welch unit can stockade Muskehounds just look Round might just body white vine These we always Tarzan the hey security Knight Hong Hong One to crack number But blown fine style makes ending number for for One to from up makes spend soldiers the One from Cheryl in all in pay that fun one the Knight Today Kong style but promptly was flight find they Hong Cause all on rainbows always school fan-riffic end the number wings car the exist its in One the Muskehounds Phooey Round the problem Hong rough and and but shadowy Today 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-these-craigslist-ads/459869/5 "2008-08-13T18:33:03Z")
I can’t be positive, but I’d guess that they put a bunch of random stuff in so they’ll get a lot of hits from people surfing. ETA: Also, some publications put the longest ads at the top. They might dump in a lot of text for better placement. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-these-craigslist-ads/459869/6 "2008-08-13T19:18:03Z")
They post the nonsense text in the ads because CL doesn’t allow multiple postings in different areas. They post the same ad in different locations with a different block of bullshit text so the CL’s filters can’t tell that the ads are really identical. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-these-craigslist-ads/459869/7 "2008-08-13T19:20:21Z")
Somewhat off-topic, but I’ve noted of late that when I post something on Craigslist, I almost immediately get an email expressing “interest” in the item. When I respond, I never get another reply, but do immediately start getting those stupid Pfizer and Lilly spam ads, which I still don’t understand the purpose of. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-these-craigslist-ads/459869/8 "2008-08-13T19:37:45Z")
[QUOTE=hajario] They post the nonsense text in the ads because CL doesn’t allow multiple postings in different areas. They post the same ad in different locations with a different block of bullshit text so the CL’s filters can’t tell that the ads are really identical. [/QUOTE] Thanks! That makes sense. I’ve also noticed they usually don’t specify an area. For example, certain houses for rent in Colorado are in the “Rocky Mountains” with no particular town listed. Good to know. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-deal-with-these-craigslist-ads/459869/9 "2008-08-13T19:58:25Z")
The ads are flagged for removal now, FWIW.