Five Money Scams to Watch Out for on Craigslist Elmira
Residents in Elmira, New York post a variety of things that they want to sell on the Craigslist site for their area. Although it’s been a great site for sellers as well as buyers, there have been some issues with scammers using the site in recent years. There are still a lot of honest people using the site, but it’s getting harder to tell the legitimate sellers and even buyers from those who are out to rip you off. To give you a few examples of the kind of scams that are appearing, here are five money scams to watch out for on Craigslist Elmira.
1. Craigslist apartment rental scam in Elmira
The Elmira police have been working hard to crack the case of Craigslist apartment rental scams in Elmira. Two men have already been arrested for the incidents. The men would rent apartments for themselves, then pose as rental agents for the apartment. They would ask the victims for cash down payments, collect the money and then disappear. Two of the scammers were arrested and police were searching for other suspects.
2. Craigslist Car Scam
A concerned Craigslist user posted this warning about a car scam that it affecting Elmira residents as well as people who use the site across the entire nation. Scammers post a photo and details of a vehicle that they don’t even own. They tell you that they are either out of state or in a foreign country in service for the military. They want you to wire the payment for the vehicle through eBay’s buyer protection program. They send you an e-mail with a link that looks official and authentic, but it’s really a scam site. They take your money and then the scammers disappear with your money and you can’t get ahold of them.
3. Romance scammers on Craigslist
There are several romance scams posted on Craigslist and if you’re looking for a special person, you won’t find it here. The advertisements direct you to a link where several scammers pose as lonely people who are just looking for love. What happens is they scam people out of money for fake airline tickets so they can come to visit. Innocents wire them the money and some have even waited at airports for the scammers who never show up. Some of them cut off all contact and disappear and others go on to give excuses and keep bilking their victims out of money.
4. Fake check scams on Craigslist
You need to watch out for these fake check scams that are being pulled on innocent sellers. Sellers have listed items on Craigslist and a person who says they’re interested in buying the item makes contact. They agree to have a certified check mailed to the seller. When the check arrives, it’s for far more than the cost agreed upon for the item. They instruct the seller to deposit the check in their banks account, take out the money for the item and then send the rest to a fake shipper. Some people have actually fallen for this scam because the scammers are becoming sophisticated and they make the situation seem plausible. Watch out because the checks are phony and after 3 or 4 days your bank notifies you that you must come in and cover the entire amount of the bad check plus the fees for processing.
5. Craigslist bizarre car sale gift card scam
Law enforcement is warning residents of New York to be on the lookout for a bizarre scam on Craigslist that involves cars listed for sale and payment in the form of gift cards requested. The phony car sellers ask buyers to purchase iTunes gift cards in the amount of payment for the car. They are then instructed to forward the card information to the seller. After completing this action, the scammers redeem the cards and the disappear and you are out the money. No car is ever shipped as the con artists had promise.
