Five Money Scams to Watch Out for on Craigslist Yakima
Craigslist users in the Yakima Valley of Washington State regularly post ads for items they have for sale or for trade. The site is also popular for listing homes for rent or sale as well as for employment opportunities. People even find great deals for concert tickets or other events through the site. While most have had positive experiences on Craigslist Yakima, some have been duped by scammers, or nearly swindled out of their money. There are several warnings in effect for scams that are currently listed on the site. Here are five money scams you need to watch out for on Craigslist Yakima.
1. Yakima Craigslist Rental Scam
KIMA local news learned about a rental scam that’s taking place in the West Valley region of Yakima. An ad was placed on Craigslist that offered a 4-bedroom house in the upscale area for rent for a mere $700. This is remarkably lower than the going rate for homes of this size by several hundred dollars and it seemed too good to be true. Rick Hardesty saw the ad and checked it out. Upon further investigation, he found out that the home was not available for $700 and the Craigslist ad was a phony. The scammers were instructing people who were interested in the rental to complete an application that included their personal information, photo and social security number along with a check for $600 and send it to a location in West Africa. They made the claim that they were missionaries to the country and wouldn’t be able to show them the home but would allow them to drive by the address and check it out for themselves. When Hardesty arrived at the property, he noticed that the pictures that the scammers had posted did not match what he saw at the property. Several people before Hardesty had inquired about the property to discover that it was a poorly put together scam. The ad was flagged and removed from Craigslist.
2. Car for Sale Scam on Craigslist Yakima
KIMA Action News reported that a Craigslist seller advertised a 2003 Honda Accord for sale with a $1,000 asking price in the local listings for the area. This ad has all the red flags that pin it down as a money scam. First, the seller requires that the buyer must send a down payment of $600 and it must be sent in the form of eBay gift cards. Then after receiving the payment, she would have the car shipped to the buyer. The buyer started to doubt the legitimacy and just before he sent the cards, he called eBay to find out if the deal was legitimate or if it was a scam. They confirmed that it was indeed a scam and he narrowly escaped becoming the victim of fraud.
3. Puppy Mill Scam on Yakima Craigslist
People who live in the state of Washington are being warned about a puppy flipper who is running a dishonest business and posting through Craigslist. She lists her location as being in Yakima, WA, but the telephone numbers are actually from Aberdeen, WA, Las Vegas, Nevada, Pasco, WA, and Delaware. This is not an honest breeder. She posts multiple ads for puppies daily and complaints from people who have purchased puppies from her detail the fact that many of the dogs are infected with Parvovirus. No reputable breeder could post new litters of puppies every week. Often these scammers are running puppy mills with poor living conditions for the animals and they also resort to stealing puppies off the street to “flip” them, similar to house flipping. She doesn’t use her real name or contact information so it’s apparent that she has something to hide.
4. Money Tree Scam on Yakima Craigslist
A series of Money Tree scams have been surfacing in the Yakima area. Calls are being made to fraudulently attempt to collect payday loan debts and in addition, fake advertisements for jobs being offered by money tree are appearing on Craigslist. The Money Tree has listed an official statement that warns the public about these scams and cautions everyone to call Money Tree directly before responding to any ads posted on Craigslist or any telephone calls from MoneyTree.
5. Yakima Woman Reports Craigslist Yakima RV Scammer
Sandra Griffin listed her 2001 Scamp Camper Travel Trailer for sale on Craigslist Yakima. She tells the story about being pregnant and needing to sell the trailer quickly because she doesn’t have time to waste by advertising the camper for its true value. She’s asking $1,900 and demands a “fast transaction.” This was reported as a scam by an anonymous resident in Yakima and the ad has been flagged on Craigslist.