Five Money Scams to Watch Out for on Craigslist Gainesville

People of Gainesville have been using Craigslist for decades to post items that they have for sale. It's a great place to find used items at a reasonable price. Some of the more common items that are listed on the site include appliances such as stoves, refrigerators, washers, dryers, home furnishings, cars and trucks, farm equipment, recreational vehicles and many other things. Some home owners even list rentals and homes for sale on the site. While most people who buy and sell on the site are honest, there has been an increase in scam activity in the area. Here are five money scams that you need to watch out for on Craigslist Gainesville.

1. Local realtor warns of rental scams on Craigslist Gainesville

A local realtor is telling everyone to be careful when you come across a rental deal that looks too good to be true. She shared that recently she has had a lot of people contacting her about properties that they have seen listed for rent on Craigslist. When they drive past the address given, they see her realtor sign and give her a call or visit her. They discover that these homes have been listed for sale on other sites and they have never been listed by the agency as rentals. Scammers are stealing the photos and other information from the adds to try to rip people off. Always do the research and never send money for rent or deposits via wire transfer because these are waving red flags that tell you it's probably not a legitimate offer.

2. Deceased woman's house used as a scam rental

A vile scammer took photographs and detailed information from a site that advertised a house for sale. It had been on the market for two years, and was placed there by the family of the owner who had passed away. Her daughter was shocked when a couple knocked on the door and asked to tour the home. They had a copy of the pictures they had found on the Craigslist rental advertisement. The home had never been offered for rent. The couple said that they had received an email from the owner and that she told them she was a missionary. This was impossible because she had passed away. The scammers wanted a deposit of $750 and $700 per month in rent. The con artists were trying to get the renters to wire the money to them.

3. Woman loses money in Gainesville rental scam

Here is yet another scam that happened through Craigslist in Gainesville. A woman called the property manager of the home to ask why the house that she moved into was still listed for rent. The property manager told her that it was still available. The tenant informed the manager that she had signed a lease, paid the money and moved into the home. He asked her to come to the office with the receipt and the lease agreement. When she produced the documents she told him she met the landlord at the unit and closed the deal. The guy posing as the landlord had drilled out the locks and had the locks changed, giving her a set of keys that worked. The matter was reported to local authorities but the names on the lease were phony. The phone number she had called had been disconnected.

4. Woman charged in Craigslist ticket selling scam

A local woman has been arrested for defrauding 15 people out of $18,350 in a ticket selling scheme. The crook advertised tickets to a Masters gold tournament held in Augusta, GA as well as tickets to the Kentucky Derby. She asked the victims to mail checks for payment of the tickets and said that she would email them to get the addresses to send the tickets to after the payment was received. She cashed the checks but never responded to any of their attempts to contact her. She was reported to law enforcement and was arrested for the crimes.

5. Craigslist boat sale scam

Gainesville authorities disclosed that a man had advertised a Carolina Skiff boat for sale on Craigslist. A buyer sent a $9,000 deposit to purchase the boat and he was told that the boat would be delivered to him at a specified date. Another man saw a similar ad and he was told that a new boat would be ready in a couple of months and he required an $8,000 cash deposit. He met with the advertiser and made the down payment and signed paperwork that guaranteed delivery of the boat. This happened to several men but none of the boats were ever delivered to them. A total of 10 people became the victims of the scam.