The 8 Most Common Craigslist Scams (And How to Avoid Them)

The Person Is Selling a Product They Don't Have

A pretty common scam on Craigslist (and many other platforms) is when someone is trying to sell a product they never had. They usually find a few pictures online, hoping that you'll buy from them.

Unfortunately, a lot of people fall for this trick, so you need to be careful. First, take a good look at the images. If they look like they were taken by a professional, it's possible the product is fake. 

You can also try doing a reverse image search on Google. This is when you go to Google Images and search for a specific image online to see if it's been posted before.

All you need to do is head over to Google and click the camera icon in the search bar. Next, upload the image or paste the image link and click Search. If the image was copied, it may appear on the results. 

However, keep in mind that this isn't 100% accurate — just because you don't find the image online doesn't mean this isn't a scam.

So, the last way of knowing it's a scam is to see the product for yourself. First, you can ask the seller to take another picture of the product from a different angle or with something in the picture to help you determine if it is real.

You can also ask to them to hop on a video call and show you the product. And, of course, you can also ask them to meet up in person so you can see the product for yourself.

The Seller Wants to Do the Deal Online

Nowadays, buying and selling stuff without leaving your home is a pretty common practice. However, when it comes to Craigslist, it's best to do all your deals in person.

Craigslist is meant to be a platform to search for the items you want, but you should always try to buy or sell your products in person. If the seller says that they're out of town or they don't want to meet in person, it's best to cancel the deal.

While it's understandable that a seller doesn't want to meet with every single buyer they have, just paying for something without having it in your hands is a huge risk for you.

Buyers Want to Pay With Money Orders or Checks

Nowadays, checks and money orders are almost unnecessary when buying something online. So, if someone is offering to use one of these options to buy from you on Craigslist, you need to be very careful.

Unfortunately, some people will try to use checks or money orders that are either fake or that don't have enough funds. 

The best solution is to never accept these kinds of payments. But if that's you're only solution, you should always make sure you actually get the money before giving the product away.

People Want to Use Fake Escrow Services

Escrow services are great when buying stuff online. These platforms will basically hold the money for you until the transaction is complete to reduce the possibility of any of the two parties getting scammed. 

Unfortunately, scammers know this, too, and they've even found a "solution." They use fake escrow services to make it seem like you're actually putting your money in a trusted platform.

The best course of action here is to double-check that the escrow service is actually legit. If you don't like the one the buyer suggests, you can suggest your own for some extra piece of mind. 

And if they don't want to use your option, you could both agree to use cash instead.

Fake PayPal Payments

Using PayPay is a secure way to make sure you're getting what you paid for. When using PayPal, you'll have the option to cancel your payment if the other person tries to scam you.

However, because of how popular the platform is, scammers are using fake emails to make you think they sent a payment.

Fake emails aren't rare nowadays, so you need to make sure the message is legit. For starters, check who sent it. If the email address doesn't say paypal.com, chances are it's fake. 

Also, make sure that the PayPal logo is up-to-date and that it looks legit. Last but not least, make sure the message mentions your actual name. 

The seller or buyer will use the name you gave them, and if that's not the same one you have in your PayPal account, then that should be a dead giveaway.

Lastly, if you're still unsure, just log into your actual PayPal account — by going to PayPal directly, not using a link from an email — and see if the money is actually there.

Beware of Ticket Scams

Ticket scams have become more popular on Craigslist in 2023. Unfortunately, people have become better at making fake tickets. 

So, if you're trying to find some tickets at a good price on Craigslist, you need to be extremely careful when buying them. Scammers can even counterfeit some of the watermarks most tickets have to make them even more realistic.

Unfortunately, the best solution is to just avoid buying tickets on Craigslist. Not only will you stop risking getting scammed, but you also will stop supporting scalpers who buy a bunch of tickets to resell them.

People Are Selling Blacklisted Phones

On Craigslist, you're bound to find a deal that seems too good to be true. For instance, you might find a new iPhone 15 Pro Max for the price of a regular iPhone 15. 

Unfortunately, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Some people try to sell blacklisted phones on Craigslist.

In case you don't know, blacklisted phones are a term used for phones that have been blocked because they've been reported as lost or stolen. Likewise, a phone can also be blacklisted by a carrier if the owner stops paying for it.

These phones are basically useless, and you won't be able to make calls, send messages, or use your data plan. If it's an iPhone, there's also a very good chance it still has Activation Lock enabled, in which case you won't even be able to get through the setup process without the original owner's Apple ID and password.

To avoid buying a blacklisted phone, you'll need to get the serial number or IMEI number, which you can then run by a carrier before making a purchase. They should be able tell you if the phone is blacklisted or not.

Another good solution is to ask the seller to meet you at a carrier store. That way, you can check with a representative if the phone is blacklisted or not almost immediately.

Seller Reports Phone As Stolen After Purchase

Granted, this form of scam isn't as common, but it can happen. The way this works is that you buy a phone from someone and actually receive the phone.

But after a short while, the original owner calls the carrier and reports the phone as stolen, leaving you with a non-functioning phone. 

The worst part is that you can't really do anything about it. Most carriers will only recognize the original owner and won't unlock the phone for you.

The reason why this isn't as common as other forms of scams is that there's not really much in it for the scammer unless they're just a bad person who wants to be vindictive and lock your phone for no apparent reason.

The seller still needs to actually give you the device, so there's little profit from reporting it stolen later unless they're working another angle, such as hoping to dupe you into believing you did something wrong and then trying to buy it back from you (or sell it to an accomplice) at a much lower price.

Unfortunately, though, there's nothing you can do to prevent this. So the best course of action is to either buy from a seller you know you can trust or spend the extra money and buy a phone at the store. 

Stay Safe Out There

Craigslist is a fantastic website that can help you find even free stuff, but that doesn't mean it's always safe. Be aware of every ad you see on the platform, and remember that if it's too good to be true, it probably is.

The best way to avoid scams is to meet in person with the seller or buyer. Be sure to do it in a public place and if you can, bring someone with you.

If the seller or buyer isn't cooperating with you, it's best to skip the deal.