Greg's Corner

Tagged: craigslist Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

• 

  Geebo 8:58 am on September 10, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Carolina Panthers, craigslist, football ( 9 ), NFL ( 10 ), Scams ( 1,355 ), tickets ( 17 )   

  New football season brings about old ticket scams 

  

  This past weekend, or this past Thursday if you want to be pedantic, was the start of the NFL pro football season. And with the start of the new season comes the mad scramble for tickets to see the games live. If you’re not a season ticket holder, good tickets can be hard to come by sometimes. In days gone by this would lead you to enlist the services of a ticket scalper. While the tickets were inordinately expensive, they were more often than not the genuine article. In today’s electronic world, tickets have become easier to fake and have led to an increase in ticket scams.

  For example, a woman in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area recently lost almost $1800 to a craigslist ticket scammer. The victim, a real estate agent, wanted tickets to yesterday’s Carolina Panthers home opener against the Dallas Cowboys. She had sent the money to the scammer after communicating with the alleged scammer over the phone and friending him on professional social networks. After she sent the money the scammer stopped taking her calls and never sent the tickets. This particular scammer is said to be so prolific that even the Panthers organization is familiar with him. The victim herself is said to be no stranger to craigslist scams since she deals with them in her day job but sadly fell for one anyway. This is even after the Panthers and many NFL teams limited customers in the way many of them receive electronic or paper tickets.

  If you’re looking to attend a football game this season, try to avoid places like craigslist for buying tickets. You may think you’re saving money or buying a hard to get ticket, but in the long run, you could end up losing your money and not being able to attend the game. While the prices for NFL tickets may be exorbitant these days, we do recommend that you only buy them from either the team themselves, licensed retailers, or authorized resellers. This way you can assure yourself that you and your family won’t be turned away from the gate on game day.

  Man loses close to $1000 on fake Cowboys playoff tickets from OfferUp | Greg's Corner is discussing. Toggle Comments

   

  Leave a ReplyCancel reply
• 

  Geebo 9:14 am on August 28, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: craigslist, pet adoption ( 9 ), pets ( 15 ), Puppy Mills ( 15 ), Virginia ( 9 )   

  Another craigslist puppy ring results in sick animals 

  

  Authorities in Prince William County, Virginia, have arrested three people on animal cruelty charges for allegedly selling very sick puppies on craigslist. Many of the puppies sold had parvovirus, or parvo as it’s more commonly known, and at least one had died after being sold. After receiving numerous complaints, animal control officers investigated the grounds where the puppies were being kept and calling it a puppy mill would be generous. According to reports, the living conditions for the puppies were deplorable, to say the least. Sadly, this is not an uncommon occurrence on craigslist.

  If you’re familiar with Geebo, you know that we haven’t accepted ads for pets in quite some time in order to help prevent animal cruelty on a scale such as this. However, did you know that pet sales are listed as prohibited on craigslist? According to craigslist’s own terms of service, pet sales are prohibited but re-homing with a small adoption fee is ok. You couldn’t tell by going to craigslist and doing a search for puppies. Since craigslist rarely does any kind of moderation on their platform, these types of puppy sales continue, mostly unabated.

  Buying a puppy should never be a heat of the moment decision and while buying a puppy off of craigslist may satisfy an urge of instant satisfaction, in the long run, it could also lead to heartbreak for you and your family. Don’t cheap out when it comes to adding a new member to your family. Always do your research first and only do business with legitimate and licensed breeders. Real breeders will never want to meet you in a parking lot or some other sketchy locale. Please also consider adopting from your local shelter. Too many shelters have to turn away animals because there’s not enough room in their kennels. Also, re-homing costs through shelters are usually very reasonable and in most cases, the animals have been well taken care of medically and emotionally by the shelter. Wouldn’t you rather be a hero in your dog’s eyes?

   
• 

  Geebo 10:21 am on August 9, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: craig newmark ( 7 ), craigslist, real estate ( 127 ), San Francisco ( 8 )   

  The house where craigslist was born is up for sale 

  

  The San Francisco condo where Craig Newmark founded his eponymous list has gone up for sale. For a cool $1.4 million you could own the three-bed, one-bath, 1,250 square-foot, condo with a backyard. It sounds like the perfect place for some up and coming startup CEO who just got their first round of funding. I mean it’s not like an actual working family could afford it or anything.

  Mr. Newmark himself hasn’t lived in the condo since 2005. Since then he’s bought a $6 million home in New York City that takes up two floors of a four-story building in addition to his primary residence in the San Francisco Bay Area that I’m sure must have cost him a pretty penny. Yet over the years, Craig Newmark has said that craigslist’s profits are so small that the company can’t hire additional employees such as moderators or customer service agents. The profits must at least be enough that he can afford multi-million dollar homes in the most expensive real estate markets on both coasts.

  Not surprisingly, the realtor who is handling the condo’s sale has not listed the property on craigslist. How ironic would it be if someone posted a phony ad on craigslist purporting to rent the condo out below market value? You know, like all the homes that claim to be up for rent on craigslist where scammers steal money from people looking for homes. The same phony real estate ads that craigslist does nothing to prevent from being posted in the first place.

   
• 

  Geebo 9:01 am on July 25, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: craigslist, Houston ( 9 ), Scams ( 1,355 ), texas ( 22 ), used car ( 33 )   

  Single father taken in craigslist car con 

  

  If you try to buy a used car on craigslist, chances are you’ll run into any number of con artists. Some of the used car scams we’ve brought to your attention are ones involving phony car titles and stolen rental cars. That’s only the tip of the iceberg as used car scams can take many forms including the gift card scam as shown in the video below.

  Recently, a single father from Houston, Texas, found himself out of $3,000 that he borrowed from his sister so he could purchase a used car off of craigslist. The man met with the seller in a store parking lot and the seller just basically drive off with the man’s money. Reports say this particular scammer has allegedly performed the same scam in New Mexico and Nevada.

  Again, if you’re going to buy anything from a classifieds site we recommend meeting the seller at a local police station as they’re becoming the de facto place to meet in case of con artists. However, when it comes to cars we also recommend meeting the seller at your state’s DMV so you can go in and make sure the title is a legitimate one before buying. We also recommend using Geebo instead of craigslist as the vast majority of our car ads have the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) listed in the ad. That way you can check the history of the car even before going to see it in person. Many states have an online service where you can check the VIN and there are a plethora of paid commercial options as well.

  A car is a major investment and can mean the world of difference to someone who has difficulty getting around their area. It could mean the difference between having a job or losing one. So please take the extra time in researching any used car before making such a possibly life-changing purchase.

   
• 

  Geebo 9:00 am on July 9, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: craigslist, illegal dumping   

  Illegal craigslist dumping can hurt us all 

  

  You may not think that illegal trash dumping is a problem since you either don’t see it often or engage in it. That doesn’t mean it’s not going on and can’t affect you. In too many communities there are places known to locals as a sort of de facto dumping ground. Unfortunately, a multitude of these spots could not only have detrimental effects on the wildlife and environment but in the long run, could lead to substantial health hazards and decreased property values. While local governments can crack down on offenders, it doesn’t seem to be turning the tide.

  So if you have a lot of junk and trash that needs to be hauled away from your home you may think of contacting a professional hauler. So where do you go to find one? Hopefully not craigslist as FOX 5 in Las Vegas points out, a number of businesses on craigslist purport to be legitimate haulers, but instead, these fake haulers are just dumping your junk in the Nevada desert.

  As with most craigslist problems, if it’s happening in one area, it’s probably happening in many more. If you want to responsibly have your junk hauled away and not just dumped somewhere where anyone could find it, you’ll want to use a licensed hauling service. They’ll charge more than illegal dumpers, but that’s because they’re using that money to dispose of your refuse legally and safely. If an illegal dumper dumps your trash and authorities find any of your identifying information you could be held legally responsible and end up getting fined thousands of dollars. So isn’t it worth it to spend the extra money to make sure it’s done right?

   
• 

  Geebo 8:52 am on June 27, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: contractors ( 9 ), craigslist, Facebook Marketplace ( 62 )   

  Craigslist contractors can cause calamity 

  

  A subject we don’t discuss on this blog that we really should are the hazards of hiring a contractor off of an unmoderated site like craigslist. Craigslist is rife with both unlicensed contractors and con artists posing as contractors. When a state or municipal licensing board wants to crack down on illegal contractors, craigslist is the first place they turn to.

  Recently in Bakersfield, California, one such supposed contractor was arrested for allegedly placing ads on craigslist and Facebook posing as a contractor while bilking people out of their money. The suspect is said to have collected down payments from potential customers but would pocket the money instead of doing any kind of contracting work. This is just one of the hazards of using craigslist to try to hire a contractor.

  If you allow an unlicensed contractor into your home to do major repairs or alterations, not only could you be gambling with your home improvement fund, but you could also find yourself on the hook for medical expenses if the contractor were to injure themselves without carrying the proper insurance. Many states have licensing websites where you can look up to see if the contractor is licensed. It also helps to check references and your local Better Business Bureau to see if a contractor is trustworthy. Anybody can print out a business card that says they are a contractor, but only a licensed contractor can earn your business and trust through their reputation.

   
• 

  Geebo 9:01 am on June 22, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: craigslist, pet adoption ( 9 ), pet sales ( 7 ), pets ( 15 ), Puppy Mills ( 15 ), puppy scam ( 37 )   

  Sick dogs continue to be sold on craigslist 

  

  When someone is in the market for a new puppy, they often look for one with their heart and not necessarily their heads. Scammers of all shapes and sizes love to take advantage of the emotional response people tend to have after seeing a puppy for the first time. Not surprisingly, craigslist is often the venue scammers use to pass off as many puppies as they can.

  A couple in Rancho San Diego, California, found this out recently when they adopted a miniature dachshund off of craigslist. The couple even admits they ignored some red flags once they saw the puppy. Those red flags were that the puppy was being sold at a too good to be true price and that the seller wanted to meet at a parking lot and not where the dogs were allegedly being bred. Days after adopting the puppy the dachshund became sick and a vet diagnosed the puppy with distemper. Sadly, this is an all too common occurrence on the unmoderated craigslist.

  While purchasing a dog off of craigslist may give you that instant satisfaction of getting a puppy that day, in the long run, it’s worth taking your time to research the seller. You could be buying a dog from either a puppy mill or backyard breeder who is more intent on just making money than ethically breeding these dogs. Often these dogs have parvovirus which is contagious and can affect other pets in your household. For these reasons, Geebo does not accept ads for pets as we do not want to contribute to what is essentially animal cruelty. As always, we recommend only adopting pets from shelters or licensed breeders.

   
• 

  Geebo 9:27 am on June 19, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: craigslist, employment ( 36 ), geebo ( 22 )   

  Geebo is better for job hunting than craigslist 

  

  When it comes to looking for a new job, a lot of job seekers will turn to craigslist ads for new opportunities. The problem with that is that anybody can pay for a craigslist ad and claim to be an employer. This often results in deceptive ads that either misrepresent what the job really is, or they’re outright scams. Here are some tips on how to tell if a job is not legitimate.

  News station WKBW out of Buffalo, New York, recently did an expose on craigslist job ads. In one instance they found a meal delivery service that promised $19/hr. but after they clicked on the ad they noticed that the pay started lowering as the ad progressed. The reporter reached out to craigslist to see how they verify their job ads but craigslist, not surprisingly, did not respond.

  Here at Geebo, not only do we review our ads for legitimacy, but all our employment ads list the name of the company placing the ad. This allows you the opportunity to research the company to see if it’s the right fit for you.

   
• 

  Geebo 9:58 am on June 13, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: craigslist, modeling ( 8 ), Scams ( 1,355 )   

  Craigslist modeling job turns into blackmail 

  

  We’ve posted about online modeling job scams in the past, specifically those found on craigslist. At the very least these scams could rip you off for thousands of dollars on phony classes or portfolios. For instance, a lot of those radio ads you hear for modeling jobs are actually just sales pitches for these services. In some drastic but not unheard of cases some online modeling ads are actually trying to lure victims into the world of human trafficking.

  One of the other modeling scam outcomes we haven’t discussed yet is blackmail. One woman in Fort Worth, Texas, unfortunately, found this out the hard way. The 22-year-old woman responded to a craigslist ad for a supposed modeling agency. The alleged agency asked her to send some risqué photos including those in various states of undress. However, the agency turned out to not be an agency at all but instead was just one man who threatened to post the photos to social media if the victim didn’t supply more. The victim went to police who are currently investigating the matter.

  Blackmailers typically don’t expect people to go to police out of fear of embarrassment and sadly, this has become an increasingly common occurrence among modeling ads. While there are legitimate modeling opportunities online, they are few and far between compared to all the ads that promise fame and fortune. On the FTC website, there is a page dedicated to how to not only protect yourself from modeling scams like this but also how to tell if a modeling agency is a fake.

  The craigslist modeling scam rears its ugly head | Greg's Corner is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
• 

  Geebo 9:14 am on June 12, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: craig newmark ( 7 ), craigslist, CUNY, journalism ( 8 )   

  Journalism school to be named after journalism’s arch-nemesis 

  

  It’s not unusual for a university to name one of its major programs or buildings after a generous donor. However, this is not a practice that isn’t without controversy as a name given today can end up being an embarrassment for a university years later. That’s why I was a little bit more than surprised when the City University of New York (CUNY) announced that it would be naming its graduate journalism school after craigslist founder Craig Newmark.

  The university announced the name change after Newmark made a $20 million donation to the school. However. many of CUNY’s journalism school alumnus have a problem with the school being named after Newmark. Many blame Newmark for the decline in print media since craigslist is said to have taken away the majority of classified ad revenue away from the newspapers. While I’m no fan of Mr. Newmark, I would allege that was more of a failure on the part of print media for not adapting to an emerging digital market. However, other detractors of the name change also point out craigslist’s sordid history of once being the leading online marketplace for human trafficking and because of that Newmark’s name should not be associated with the journalism school. In my opinion, this is a more apt argument as Craig Newmark and craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster would avidly avoid the press when they were embroiled in that very controversy. It took the so-called ‘ambushing’ of Craig Newmark by CNN’s Amber Lyon to get a somewhat genuine answer out of Craig Newmark.

  While craigslist may have removed the adult ads section and closed its personals that doesn’t mean that craigslist won’t be involved in some other scandal in the future. As we have pointed out craigslist is still full of scams and hate speech, and they still refuse to moderate any of their ads. Who’s to say this donation made by Mr. Newmark isn’t just a way of him trying to buy his way into the good graces of journalists?