Always use a proxy email address or phone number.

This limits your interaction to your local community and reduces the risk of scams involving distant buyers.

Meet in public and bring a friend.

Avoid shipping items or letting someone else pick them up on the buyerโ€™s behalf.

Craigslist scams targeting sellers and buyers arenโ€™t rare, but you can avoid them by learning to recognize red flags and warning signs.

Recommended for you

Webso how do you buy something on craigslist without getting scammed, or worse, robbed?

These seven tips will help you avoid sketchy craigslist deals and stay safe.

Always inspect items before forking over the cash.

By taking these steps, you can help limit the damage of a craigslist scam and contribute to the safety of the online community.

Webto protect yourself, insist on a secure payment method that canโ€™t easily be faked or reversed โ€” namely, a p2p transfer app like venmo or paypal or cold, hard cash.

Wiring money and purchasing goods without seeing items can create a liability for the buyer, because craigslist does not have a regulating agent to ensure items are delivered.

Ultimately a public place is preferred when picking up an item.

Deal locally with people you can meet in person.

The help pages below have some information about best practices for ensuring your safety.

Plan details in advance.

Craigslist states that by dealing locally and meeting in person, youโ€™ll โ€œavoid 99% of scam attemptsโ€ โ€” but how do you stay safe when meeting a total stranger?

Trust your instincts when vetting buyers.

Webavoid making purchases from sellers who are overseas.

Always meet in person, locally:

If you accept cash, be sure to have a counterfeit detection pen on hand.

According to craigslist, following this one rule allows you to avoid 99 percent of scam attempts.

If you haven't seen what you're buying, there's a good chance it might not actually exist.

As with all transactions, please practice caution when interacting with others.

In this guide, weโ€™ll cover some of the most common scams on craigslist sites and tips for keeping your money and identity safer.

Use a secure form of payment.

You may also like

Webfamiliarize yourself with common scam tactics and stay updated on new scam trends to better protect yourself in the future.

Webweโ€™ve put together a guide on the most common craigslist scams, how to avoid them, and how to stay safe while selling or buying on craigslist.

Webhere are five tips to consider:

Stay safe when a buyer comes to your house.