You might want to back out of this by sending her an e-mail that says something like “I just discovered that such a transaction is illegal, so I can’t do this for you. You might try…”
Plus since they’re under pressure to keep illegal stuff off their site, they will almost surely act if the post is reported.
I’m sorry, but this makes you sound even more creepy. You went out of your way to disguise yourself. You also indicate that you found her Facebook account through some means besides her giving it to you.
You really need to leave this alone. The fact that you thought any of this was okay is quite scary. And as you should already know from your own escapades, it would not take much for somebody to find out who you are.
It smells like a gun buying sting and the pic is so over the top it’s even more evidence of this. It’s what a smart cop would do to establish a believable identity. You’re not Batman and you’ve already got your pecker halfway into the meat grinder. You need to call the cops and move on.
First off, I agree with the opinion that the OP is being creepy. Ugh.
Secondly, she’s 18 and may not understand the laws for obtaining guns in Canada. I know I didn’t know the laws when I was 18. It could be an honest mistake on her part - a lack of understanding. If this is a real person, and the evidence that she is a victim of domestic abuse is correct, why would you bait her to try and bring more negative drama into her life? Help a girl out, would you? Tell her it’s illegal and what she has to do to get a gun legally.
Don’t always assume the worst about everyone. That’s a horrible way to go through life, iyam.
Not just assuming the worst, but assuming someone is about to commit a violent crime and is advertizing it on craigslist.
So, when did you obtain your Private Investigators license? When did you first realize it was your destiny to fight crime?
Send another email with all of the above information included and then leave the situation alone. And give us an update so we don’t have to wonder if you’re in jail for trying to sell firearms illegally.
a) Tell her what she’s attempting is illegal.
b) Call the cops and tell them what you know so far.
c) No, seriously. Call the cops.
There’s a good chance that this posting is part of a sting operation. Toronto Police have been under heavy pressure to get illegal handguns off the streets, especially after the high-profile shooting deaths of innocent bystanders in recent years.
Plus law enforcement has gotten very tech savvy in recent years - they’re already using Twitter and YouTube to solicit tips on unsolved crimes, and they have liaison officers who send out Community Alert bulletins for all of their divisions via email. I wouldn’t put it past them to use Facebook and Craigslist if it gets them the results they need.
On the off-chance that it’s not a sting and this girl is actually for real, she’s clearly not all that bright if she’s openly requesting assistance online… which means she’ll get caught if she actually goes through with her crazy plan to shoot somebody, and you could easily get dragged into a murder investigation based on the fact that you’ve been in contact with her. Do not doubt for a second that they’ll find you eventually if there’s a homicide involved, even with that “fresh hushmail account” of yours.
On a side note, I’m rather amused by how many posts in that section of Craigslist involve people trying to buy or sell drugs. Whatever happened to cruising by the Evergreen?
(do people really think they can claim their business is legit so long as they specify their ketamine is intended for “suffering kittens”?)
Spent 15 min on the phone with the appropriate police department. Provided the name, e-mail, phone, address & facebook of the suspect. I read the original craigslist posting, provided a link to it, and read my original e-mail and her response.
they seemed to take it pretty seriously, I will let everyone know if/when any updates occur.
my life would have to be pretty boring for me to stalk a stranger on the internet and turn them in because they might commit a crime
(edit: rewording)
So your hobbies are limited to reading about, and discussing via message board, the stalking of strangers on the internet who might commit a crime?
clearly you live a fast-paced and interesting world, oh i just only wish my life was half as interesting as yours.
did… did you just use the rubber/glue defence?
no, you did…poopypants!
Glad you called the police. They can set her straight on why she can not keep a handgun.
And perhaps find out who punched her in the face.
she won’t be there when they arrive, i tipped her off.
4 Hours after my report to the communications office, the case has been been assigned to a constable who just called me to follow-up.
He seemed to appreciate the severity of the situation, and indicated my approach did not seem worrisome given the circumstances. I mean there was a seemingly unstable anonymous woman indicating to the public that there was some sort of urgency in her life requiring an illicit firearm. Presumably the simplest method of engaging in a dialogue with this person is to offer her what she wants. Now sure it would have been more appropriate for the police to do the sting. But I was concerned that a) they don’t have the time/resources to pursue anonymous issues like this b) i’m better with computers than most of them are c) this was time-sensitive.
many people here seem to think I took a large risk with the fictitious e-mail, but I don’t think there was ever any substantive likelihood of an angry-cop pursuing me, as there was zero intent to commit a crime, zero means to commit a crime, and no crime committed, just an obvious lie (this very thread is proof of that).
If I don’t hear from the cops in the next day or two I will call back and see if they have any more news.
Glad you didn’t end up in jail. Although, that probably would have made a killer thread! I know you weren’t planning on selling guns to this girl, but I could still see how a cop would be annoyed by interference. Imagine this cop sitting by the computer, pulls up your e-mail and thinks he’s on to something. He suddenly morphs into Neo (matrix style) and starts hacking the mainframe, only to discover it was another citizen trying to bust the crime. Again though, glad you didn’t end up in jail, and hopefully she’ll get assistance if it is needed.