We've all heard of some great deals being found on Craigslist, but more we hear about people getting robbed, raped or even murdered using Craigslist. Here we have a few tips to help keep you safe.

There are some great deals on Craigslist, and we are NOT saying don't go get those bargains. I have friends that have bought, sold and traded on the site without any problems of any sort, but as times get more desperate we hear of unspeakable crimes occurring through connections made on the site. Just this month we heard of a couple in New York that picked a random victim on Craigslist to murder for fun. We also saw the story of the Vet murdered for an iPad that he wanted to purchase for his parents for Christmas.

SAFETY TIPS FOR USING CRAIGSLIST

  1. Double Check Sellers Info: Get all of the info you can and check it out... phone numbers, email address, etc... use that info to search for your seller online.
  2. Ask Too Many Questions: Ask, ask, ask. No matter how silly the questions, ask as many as possible, if the seller is unable to answer any of your questions use it as a warning flag that they may not have the item you are looking for and you could be set up.
  3. Don't Buy From a Seller That Only Provides Email: If the person selling the item you are searching for only uses an email address for contact info take that as a warning and move on no matter how good the deal may seem.
  4. Always Meet in a Public Place: Never meet a seller at a private address. ALWAYS meet in a public place. A coffee shop, the mall parking lot (Dillards & JCP have great surveillance). Predators on Craigslist want to set someone up to be easily robbed, and will be less likely to attempt it in a crowded public area.
  5. If it Sounds Too Good To Be True, It is: No matter how unbelievable a deal may sound to you, use some common sense here. If it sounds more probable to be a scam, it probably is.
  6. Never Move to a Secondary Location: If you meet someone in a public place to make your transaction, and they ask to move to another location, red flags should fly and warnings sound in your ears. Never, NEVER... go to a second location.
  7. Never Go Alone: ALWAYS take a friend with you to meet your seller... ALWAYS!
  8. Arrive Early: If you schedule a meeting with a seller on Craigslist, arrive to your designated meeting place early, and scope it out. If something does not look right or you have an uneasy feeling, trust your instincts and abandon the deal.

Hopefully these tips will help keep you safe, be sure to share them with someone you care about that may be trying to save some money this shopping season on Craigslist.

Merry Christmas... and be safe!

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