Five Money Scams to Watch Out for on Craigslist Reno

People in the Reno area have been successfully using Craigslist as a convenient way to list items they have for sale in a massive classified ad service that reaches millions of people online. They offer boats, campers, cars trucks and some even post their homes for sale or for rent. There are also classified ads for job opportunities, event tickets for sale cheap and much more. While most people enjoy mutually beneficial transactions with no major issues, there has been a growing trend in scam ads being placed. It’s still a good site to use for buying, renting and selling, but nowadays you have to be much more careful and less trusting of people that you don’t know. Here are five Craigslist Reno money scams that you really do have to watch out for.

1. University of Nevada Craigslist Scam

Police in Reno investigated a scam that involved the use of Craigslist in February of 2018. A resident reported that they had met a man at the University to purchase tickets to the Bill Burr comedy show that was to be held at the school that evening. She found out about the tickets through Craigslist. Once she paid the man for the tickets and went inside to enjoy the show she discovered that there were several people who had tickets for the same seat. The man who was described as being tall, bald and having a Russian accent went by the name of Joel. He had scammed all of them out of their money by selling them phony tickets for the same seat in the auditorium.

2. Craigslist Car Scam in Reno

A man was looking for a car to buy his son. He found one advertised on Craigslist. He attempted to purchase a 2011 Ford Taurus that was advertised. The seller called himself Jeffrey Murden. The two agreed upon a price and they met to complete the transaction. Murden provided a bill of sale which had been notarized. The issue is that he did not have the title to the car. He said that he would have to go to the DMV to get it. The two agreed, the car was paid for and the key was handed over. They offered to drop the seller off at his home and pick up the car but he said that his wife would pick him up. The man took a few calls while waiting for his wife. The father and son assumed he would let them know when she arrived. He told his son that they needed to go pick up with the car. When they went outside, the man was gone. He hadn’t given them the address to pick up the car and they never heard from him again.

3. Online came on Craigslist Reno in Sparks

Police met with a person who had been the victim of an online Craigslist scam. The victim found a home for rent in Sparks on the site and had communicated with the so-called owner for almost a month via email. After they agreed on the rental terms, the renter wired money for the deposit and rent of the property. Keys were supposed to be sent after receipt of the funds. The keys never came and the suspect in the fraud refused to return the money. Police investigated and discovered that the real owner of the property had not placed an ad on Craigslist and the would-be renter had been scammed out of the rent that was wired by a con artist.

4. Four bedroom rental scam on Craigslist Reno

Beware of a four bedroom custom home with a fireplace, walk-in bar, and spacious living room in the Arrowcreek community. The home is being offered for rent for $1,300 per month which is a ridiculously low amount for the area. While it may sound like a good deal, it’s one of the worst deals around. The real owner of the home saw pictures of her property offering it for rent, but she didn’t place the ad. She’s been offering it for sale for $1.3 million and a scammer stole her ad and changed a few things around to rip people off in yet another lousy rental scam.

5. Police warn of a rash of Craigslist Scams in the Reno area

The police posted a warning to all of the locals around the Reno and Sparks area. They listed a variety of terrible scams that have taken place so people would stop and think before they trust strangers on the site. They listed a variety of violent crimes that resulted in murder as well as luring scams to trick people into showing up to look at an item for sale that was advertised with a phony ad. When the victims show up, there are thugs waiting nearby to rob them. They’re trying to cut down on the number of people in the area who are being taken in and victimized by Craigslist scammers.

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