6 WAYS TO AVOID GETTING SCAMMED ON CRAIGSLIST - Acclaim Federal Credit Union (2024)

FAQs

6 WAYS TO AVOID GETTING SCAMMED ON CRAIGSLIST - Acclaim Federal Credit Union? ›

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.

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.

STOP CONTACT WITH THE SCAMMER.

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

- The same ad appears in multiple cities or states. - The seller is pushy about buying the tickets. - The seller asks for payment via wire transfer, cryptocurrency or payment apps such as Zelle, Venmo, CashApp. Scammers list fake pets for sale, claiming to be breeders.

Use cash — safely

If you're dealing with a local, the most secure way to pay or collect funds for a Craigslist transaction is with cash. To keep it even more secure, you can make the exchange in a safe place like your local police station or even at Acclaim FCU.

Is it safe to give my address on Craigslist? It's probably not a good idea. Sharing personal information, even something as simple as an address or phone number, could provide a scammer with a piece of information that they need to steal your identity. If you're selling something, try to meet in a safe, public place.

When you use Craigslist to sell or purchase something, you communicate by sending an email to the other person in the transaction. To protect buyer and seller privacy, Craigslist keeps email addresses hidden.

What numbers should you avoid answering? ›

Ignore calls from 3-digit international area codes that are likely to be scams, including 232, 268, 284, 473, 664, 649, 767, 809, 829, 849, and 876. Be wary of calls from unknown numbers with your own area code. These may be international caller ID spoof scams that appear local.

The most reliable way of accepting a payment when selling something online is cash. If the item is of significant value, a cashier's check should also suffice.

To avoid a scam, contact your loved one directly or family members with knowledge of their situation before considering any money transfers. If money is sent to you by someone who isn't a close friend or family member, do not send the money back directly.

In short, an address alone generally isn't enough to put you at risk of identity theft or financial fraud. However, scammers might use your address to send phishing mail, intercept packages and mail, or even show up at your home.

With just your name and address:

Scammers can find enough information to target you with phishing emails or direct mail. They may even ransack your social media profiles to discover more details about your career or hobbies, that they can use to lend more credence to their scams.