Craigslist has really grown in popularity over the last few years. On Craigslist.com you can find a job, or look for a job, you can sell that old china cabinet your mother gave you that you always hated, buy a perfect crib for the baby you’re expecting or even give away the Franklin Stove that came with your house. However, the popularity of Craigslist has also made it home to many people seeking to take advantage, and so you have to watch carefully for frauds.

One example of a common fraud is the sale of a car at a tremendous bargain. The claim is that that car belongs to a soldier serving overseas and that the car is being shipped back to the United States, but they need money for expenses immediately and are selling the car. The potential buyer sends the money and that is the last they hear of it.

One man was arrested for listing a rental home on Craigslist that he didn’t even own. Before he was caught be the authorities he made away with thousands of dollars. In the meantime, many people were out money they could not afford. The prospective renters could have easily avoided losing money if they had done a little checking.

Fraudulent employment offers are in abundance on this site and extreme caution should be taken, especially regarding “work at home” offers. These offers almost always require a fee up front and any work, if it appears, is not worth one’s time. However, if you are pursuing a job through Craigslist and the point is reached where there will be a telephone conversation, you can use telephone look up services such as telsearchportal.com/406/206/ to do some background checking on the caller.

Anytime you are considering making a purchase on Craigslist or applying for a job, it’s important to do some research and be cautious. And never, ever send money without either seeing the item or getting a genuine guarantee. Personal ads should especially be treated with extreme caution as there are people out there looking to take advantage of lonely souls trying to make a connection.

Unfortunately, many people have sent money to purchase an item and the item never arrives. There is no recourse and it is money lost. When dealing with Craigslist and making a purchase, it is much better to meet the seller directly to make an exchange of the money for the item. Doing this allows you to check the item out before any money is exchanged.

Providing free listings for goods and services, Craigslist can be a great resource for many people. Unfortunately, it has also become a breeding ground for fraudulent dealings. By taking some simple precautions, you can avoid being duped or cheated out of your hard earned money.

This site, as with others, caution that if someone wants money wire transferred to a distance location or sent in money order or cashiers check, be concerned. Ideally, all Craigslist purchases should be done locally where a physical meeting can be arranged for every one’s safety and convenience. Additionally, you should never give out personal information and, most of all, use gut instinct to decline any offers that sound too good to be true.