Why You Need to be Wary of Craigslist

Since the advent of the Internet, eCommerce has been one of the largest aspects of the web. Between early tech giants eBay and Amazon, it seemed that eCommerce would be dominated by a select group of companies. While we now know that this did not hold true, it is true that other sites have also contributed to the rise of eCommerce. One of these sites is Craigslist, founded by Craig Newmark in 1995. While Craigslist has garnered a lot of negative media attention, it is still widely used by the masses. Because it has so many different categories other than just purchasing and selling goods, it has remained popular despite its sometimes negative connotations. Although Craigslist is a viable source for doing business, when using it, you need to be wary of potential dangers and scams. Since the site has very little regulation, it is easy for scammers to use the platform to their advantage. Because this is such a common problem with Craigslist, regular users need to be careful of what they do when using the website.

Since the TV show Catfish has become popular, the knowledge that Craigslist and other similar sites can have fake users has become more prevalent. While many people think they can tell when a person is real or not, it is often a challenge to truly discern such information. Since there is no verification process to sell goods, rent apartments, or set up a dating ad on Craigslist, anyone can post falsified information. Oftentimes people ask for money to be wired to them through PayPal, direct money transfers or other forms of payment before you have even met them. Sites like eBay and Amazon have buyer protection against scams, but Craigslist has very little to protect its users, so you need to be careful when using the site. There are many reasons why Craigslist is not worth the risk and by avoiding it altogether, you can be sure to make your life simpler.

As well as the possibility of getting scammed, it is possible for people to get seriously hurt or even killed from Craigslist. While many people remember the Craigslist Killer, there are also a myriad of other crimes that have been committed by Craigslist users. While most of the time it is safe for people to use Craigslist, it would be foolish not to understand the possibility of a dangerous situation that may occur.

Craigslist is oftentimes used properly by law-abiding people just trying to utilize the platform’s various services. While this may be true, it is also sometimes used by dangerous people, so it is imperative that you are aware of the problems that Craigslist can bring you. While it can sometimes be hard to determine whether or not other users are legitimate on Craigslist, you should use your best judgement and ask others if they think you are getting ripped off, or worse, if your life could be in danger. Be careful when using Craigslist; it may just be the best decision you ever make.

Eric Horowitz is a writer and editor who has been writing for numerous publications since 2008.