Problems On Craigslist
Craigslist is popular classifieds website that more than 50 million Americans use, according to the Craigslist website. Through the website, people are able to tell others about or find out about items such as cars, electronics, antiques, furniture, clothing, video games, toy and musical instruments. The website also features sections for looking for or posting different types of jobs, including administrative, customer service and health-related jobs. Craigslist has a reputation for being dangerous and sometimes difficult to use. Some individuals that use Craigslist have the intention of doing harm to or tricking other individuals.
Other People Are Reading
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Scams
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Some individuals that post job or item listings on Craigslist have the intention of scamming others into giving them personal information or money. Although these listings sometimes appear to be blatantly dishonest because they list an item for an extremely low price or offer large amounts of money for a job, they are sometimes difficult to spot at first. Some people make claims that they are employers from other countries looking for workers in the U.S. Others ask for contact or bank information from people applying for jobs. Some individuals or groups try to get contact information so they can sell people's information to marketers. Craigslist users could buy damaged or defective products or pay more for items than they are worth from people who are out to scam them.
Predators
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Craigslist features sections where people can connect with others interested in friendships or relationships. Sexual predators could use these sections to develop relationships with others, such as vulnerable women, and convince them to meet with them in person. People have been harmed physically and killed because they have given their contact information to or met with someone from Craigslist. Four men killed a father in Edgewood, Wash., in May 2010 after responding to an ad he placed about a ring, according to MSNBC. In August 2010, a student in Boston was accused of killing a woman who put up posts in the adult services section of the website. In the past, people used to put up posts about adult services, such as massages. Predators could have potentially used this section to sell women involved in the sex trade industry, as a man did with a young girl in Washington in August 2010, according to CNN.
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Communication and Security Issues
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People buying items cannot use Craigslist to communicate with sellers. They have to use emails or phone calls to communicate with sellers because Craigslist doesn't have direct communication features. The website only provides sellers with email addresses. To find out more about items, people have to look at pictures and descriptions and call or email sellers. The website doesn't actively screen job or item postings, so it is up to Craigslist users to decide which offers are legitimate and which are from dishonest individuals. Although Craigslist provides advice on how to spot a scam, it will only respond to potential scams if others tell administrators about dishonest sellers, buyers or employers.
Structural Problems
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Posting on Craigslist can be a difficult process for users because sometimes their posts don't go up right away or at all. Craigslist makes users go through a verification process where the website administrator verifies user accounts by sending text messages or calling people and providing them with codes, which they use to get their content on the website, according to the Craigslist website. Some people have problems getting their ads on Craigslist because their posts are similar to other users or don't feature locations. Craigslist features filtering software that weeds out posts with certain words, such as words often used in spam postings, according to Web Hosting Articles. Although the filtering tool is meant to stop spam from going on the site, it sometimes flags legitimate posts.
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References
- Craiglist: Factsheet
- MSNBC: Dad Shot Dead After Placing Craigslist Ad; May 11, 2010
- CNN; Sold on Craigslist; Steve Turnham and Amber Lyon August 3, 2010
- Craigslist: Phone Authentication
- Web Hosting Articles; Common Craigslist Problems and Craigslist Proxy Benefits; Creztor Tessel; January 6, 2010
- PC Mag; Craigslist Removes Censored Bar; Chloe Albanesius; September 9, 2010
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