How to Spot Phishing Scams on Craigslist

Spotting phishing scams on Craigslist can mean the difference between identity theft and keeping your personal information safe. Scammers use Craigslist for phishing activities because of its popularity.

Instructions

1. Study postings on Craigslist carefully. Advertisements may contain phone numbers or email addresses to contact for more information about jobs, products or anything else you may be interested in. After making contact, you may be asked to give your name, phone number or other personal information. If you emailed the scammer, your email address may have been put on a list to perpetuate the scam.

2. Receive what appears to be an official Craigslist email. Scammers who attempt to phish personal information may include official Craigslist wordings such as disclaimers in the email to try and establish trust with the victim.

3. Look at the links provided in the email. Links in emails used for phishing will usually appear to be very similar to Craigslist's official URL. However, there may be extra characters, symbols or other easily overlooked additions that are meant to trick victims into thinking that the link is to the official site.

4. Inspect the site that the link leads to. Web sites designed for phishing look very similar to Craigslist's official site. Layouts and graphics may have been stolen from the official site and placed on the imposter site.

5. Note the addition of suspicious "extra features" on the supposed Craigslist site. Some fraudulent features may include methods to provide the site with your personal or financial information. Anything you provide to the site will then be taken and used by the scammers.

Tips & Warnings

• Mistyping Craigslist's official URL can also lead you to a phishing website.