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Five Money Scams to Watch out for on Craigslist Lakeland

Lakeland residents enjoy the online Craigslist ads because it offers them an easy and affordable way to advertise items that they have for sale. You can find everything from boats, cars, motorcycles and furniture to home rentals and houses listed for sale. While most of the transactions that take place through the site are mutually beneficial, scammers are aware of the fact that there are a lot of innocent and trusting people who also use the site. We're hearing about more victims coming forward and telling how they were swindled because of a phony Craigslist ad they followed up on. Here are five money scams that you need to watch out for on Craigslist Lakeland.

1. Craigslist rental scam

A woman from Lakeland saw an ad for a home for rent on Craigslist. After emailing the owner of the ad, she received a response with a long email that explained he was a missionary to West Africa and could not meet her to show her the house. He offered that she was welcome to drive by and take a look at it. She liked the place and even completed a questionnaire that went to far as to ask her the name of her pet and the hours that she worked. She felt uncomfortable and called a real estate agent in the county and discovered that she was in fact dealing with a scammer. Although she wasn't taken in by the scam, there were others who had been.

2. Police arrest Florida rental scammer

Police recently arrested a man who was operating a rental scam on Craigslist. Courtney Daniels posted a phony rental ad for a property at 49th Ave North. One woman responded to the ad and he met her to have her complete and application and give him a $500 deposit. He didn't own the home and wasn't affiliated with it. He was arrested for fraud because of the incident.

3. Lakeland Police post scam alert notice for Craigslist users

Police from Lakeland are warning Craigslist users of a rental scam that duped four victims out of their money. Phony ads are posted on the site of a home that is located in Lakeland. The home is not really for rent but the scammers make the ad look legitimate. They are told to drive by the house and if they like it, they are to send a deposit via Western Union. The property is sometimes listed as a vacation rental. After the money is sent the scammers stop responding to communications.

4. Trailers scam

A concerned Craigslist user posted this warning about a trailer buying scam. He posts an ad that requests trailers to be use for scrap. What he's actually doing is getting the trailers and slapping a facial on them and selling them to innocent victims without making any repairs on them. This angry Craigslist user is fed up with all the scams out there are he's calling BS publicly on the guy who's taking advantage of his innocent victims by selling them junk trailers that only look good on the outside.

5. Craigslist scams in Lakeland

This site is warning all Craigslist users to be careful when meeting with someone who claims to be interested in buying an item that you have for sale. It's not just buyers who are at risk for robbery these days, it's the sellers themselves. One man was killed in front of his son when two teens responded to a Craigslist ad for a dirt bike. When they showed up, they killed the man and robbed him. There are multiple occurrences like this. It is becoming more dangerous to meet with strangers even if it is in your own driveway or back yard. There are a lot more instances of people showing up to look at an item that has been listed on Craigslist and then being robbed and sometimes killed by fake sellers who are just trying to lure victims into their domain. Always have a safety plan in place if you must meet with either a buyer or a seller from the site.

Garrett Parker

Written by Garrett Parker

Garrett by trade is a personal finance freelance writer and journalist. With over 10 years experience he's covered businesses, CEOs, and investments. However he does like to take on other topics involving some of his personal interests like automobiles, future technologies, and anything else that could change the world.

Read more posts by Garrett Parker

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