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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 22, 2024 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Facebook Marketplace ( 62 ), rental car ( 6 ), Scams ( 1,366 ), vandalism   

  Is your car being listed for rent on Marketplace? 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Most of us are no strangers to the home rental scams that infest online classifieds. These scams involve fraudsters listing properties they don’t own, aiming to deceive unsuspecting renters into paying upfront fees like deposits or first month’s rent. Now, imagine that same scheme, but with cars as the target. That’s the crux of today’s narrative.

  In Broward County, Florida, several families have experienced unsettling encounters as strangers unexpectedly appeared at their doorsteps. These individuals believed they had rented cars from the residents, as advertised on Facebook Marketplace. However, upon the residents’ investigation, they discovered their vehicles listed for rent on the platform, unbeknownst to them. Similar to the notorious home rental scam, it’s suspected that the scammers have duped renters into paying upfront deposits under false pretenses.

  Unfortunately, in certain cases, when prospective renters are refused access, their frustration boils over and manifests in destructive acts directed towards the vehicles. Numerous residents have recounted instances where their cars fell victim to severe vandalism after they rejected individuals who had fallen prey to the scam. One family shared the distressing account of vandals wielding a monkey wrench against their car shortly after they turned away two men.

  Adding to the complexity is the allegation that Facebook/Meta is sluggish in addressing the fraudulent listings, if they address them at all. Despite the concerted efforts of affected residents to flag and remove these deceptive postings, many persist, exacerbating the cycle of victimization.

  If this scam is allowed to continue, how long will it be before someone turns their ire to the car’s owner? To effectively combat fraudulent listings like those plaguing Broward County, platforms like Facebook Marketplace should implement more stringent verification processes for users posting listings, particularly for high-value items like cars. This could include requiring additional forms of identification or proof of ownership before allowing listings to go live.

  They must also prioritize the swift removal of fraudulent listings once they are reported. Timely action is crucial to mitigate the impact on affected users and prevent further victimization.

  By implementing these measures, Marketplace can significantly reduce the prevalence of fraudulent listings and enhance the safety and trustworthiness of its platform.

   

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  Geebo 11:30 am on December 22, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: craigslist ( 129 ), prank ( 2 ), theft ( 6 ), vandalism   

  Craigslist ‘prank’ ads lead to vandalism and theft 

  

  One of the many things wrong with craigslist is that due to their lack of moderation, anyone can post basically an ad saying anything and there will be people who believe it. For example in Roseburg, Oregon, someone posted a craigslist ad stating that local non-profits would be offering free trash drop off. Some of these non-profit organizations included the local Salvation Army chapter and a cancer support center. Luckily the non-profits were made aware of the ads before their properties were strewn with garbage, however, the ad was up for four hours before it was even indicated that it was waiting to be removed.

  Sadly, some of these ‘pranks’ are used as forms of revenge against neighbors. In Kansas City, a disabled woman has lost most of her property and possessions due to a craigslist ad. The victim in this case is a woman whose daughter has spina bifida. To try to make ends meet the woman repairs furniture at home, but the clutter has led some neighbors to complain. One day while the woman and her daughter were at the hospital, someone posted an ad that said ‘Free Stuff’ that listed the woman’s address and pictures of her possessions. When they returned from the hospital, just about everything had been cleared off the property including her daughter’s wheelchair ramp. What little income they had has now disappeared.

  And these are just the most recent examples. In the past such ads have been used to not only harass neighbors, but some have been used to facilitate some of the most brutal of assaults. When a website like that can be weaponized like this on a regular basis, how can they not do any self-policing? To not moderate their ads just seems reckless and lazy. It’s almost as if craigslist doesn’t care about the safety of not its users but its victims.

   
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  Geebo 10:56 am on June 24, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Casey Nocket, Creepytings, Reddit ( 4 ), vandalism   

  Off Topic Friday: Reddit gets a vandal banned from the National Parks 

  

  The collective hive mind at Reddit assisted in the apprehension of a wanted criminal, but as the saying goes even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile. After infamously accusing the wrong people in the 2013 bombing at the Boston Marathon the armchair sleuths at Reddit finally got one right, except the mystery wasn’t exactly on the same level as say finding D.B. Cooper.

  A graffiti artist (read: vandal) was tagging various natural formations in a number of National Parks. The so-called artist was using acrylic paint to display their handiwork in such parks as Yosemite and Death Valley. The vandal in question signed each of their works with the signature of ‘Creepytings’ and some of their work was posted to Redddit. Pictures of the vandalism made it to Reddit where it was spotted by a National Parks official. It only took a quick Google search of the name ‘Creepytings’ to link the vandal to an Instagram account of the same name that had posted pictures of the vandalism in question. The account holder tried to delete their social media account but by then it was too late. The accounts had been linked to one Casey Nocket, aka Creepytings.

  Ms. Nocket was recently sentenced for her acts and received a two-year ban from all National Parks and she has to pay an undisclosed fine, but this being the internet that’s not all she had to endure. Some of Reddit’s more anti-social users took it upon themselves to ‘dox’ Ms. Nocket, that is they discovered and made public her personal information such as home address and the like. Even in success Reddit acts like the petulant child of the internet.