Don't believe everything you hear. Scammers are now responding to ads but tricking sellers into thinking they are busy at work and can't talk until later. Instead of leaving you with a contact number, they request you enter your phone number into a website that “stores information” for them. Don't fall for it!
Flag Listings Directly on Craigslist or via Email Reply
If you're communicating with a Craigslist user and suspect they're a scammer, you can flag their listing directly on Craigslist or their email reply from the email message you receive. To flag a listing, select the flag icon at the top of the page.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the main agency that collects scam reports. Report your scam online with the FTC complaint assistant, or by phone at 1-877-382-4357 (9:00 AM - 8:00 PM, ET). The FTC accepts complaints about most scams, including these popular ones: Phone calls.
If someone steals your phone number, they become you — for all intents and purposes. With your phone number, a hacker can start hijacking your accounts one by one by having a password reset sent to your phone. They can trick automated systems — like your bank — into thinking they're you when you call customer service.
If you get calls from people saying your number is showing up on their caller ID, it's likely that your number has been spoofed. We suggest first that you do not answer any calls from unknown numbers, but if you do, explain that your telephone number is being spoofed and that you did not actually make any calls.
How to Identify Scam Buyers on Craigslist
Craigslist does not back any transaction on its site. If you receive an email or text trying to sell you purchase protection, you're looking at a scam. There is no such thing as a Craigslist voicemail service. If a contact asks you to access or check your “Craigslist voicemails,” you're dealing with a scammer.
Follow Craigslist's recommendations about safe transactions to avoid scams and secure a payment from an honest buyer.
That's why it's important to know how to outsmart a romance scammer and how to act fast if you think you've been scammed.
Contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP, 1-877-ID-THEFT, or online at www.ftc.gov. Contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721, by fax at (225) 334-4707 or submit a complaint through the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Here is how it works: You receive a call from someone who wants you to say “yes” by asking questions like, “is this___?” Or, “can you hear me?”. If you respond with a “yes”, the scammer creates a recorded voiceprint of the response and then uses this recording to pose as you for carrying out their schemes.
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