What fake craigslist ads can do
Photo from http://flickr.com/photos/walkering/2274402839/
Scandal grows over fake Craigslist sex ad
Girl wants to meet boy. Girl posts on Craigslist for a “casual encounter.” Hundreds of boys respond.
This normally wouldn’t be an unanticipated outcome, but what if the girl wasn’t really a girl? And what if the imposter then took all the names, e-mail addresses and phone numbers sent by the men who responded and posted them all on the Web?
That’s precisely what Jason Fortuny did in a “social experiment” that has generated a huge controversy, much of it in the form of a backlash that has included talk of litigation and even death threats. The Seattle Web developer has reportedly removed some of his own online information, which included his home address, phone number and photos (much of which is still available in archived versions of his various posts).
But don’t expect Fortuny to shrink from the spotlight–quite the opposite, in fact. According to Waxy.org, “he’s planning on setting up a dedicated Web site for his exploits, either on his Rfjason.com site or on the Craigslistsexbaits.com domain.”
From http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-6114909-7.html
A fake ad placed on Craigslist led to the complete trashing of a Tacoma, Wash., home
The ad invited people to “take everything,” and vandals did just that–stripping the rental home of furniture, appliances, light fixtures, even the kitchen sink and hot water heater.
The owner said she hadn’t placed the ad, and had recently evicted the tenant. The ad was only online for about an hour and half before it was flagged as fraudulent, and removed, but that was apparently enough time to attract attention.
from http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-6173968-7.html
Fake Craigslist ads a big headache
Diane Siddons got the call from Brandie Darnell in the middle of the day. Darnell had seen Siddons’ house advertised for rent on Craigslist and thought it was a smokin’ deal: $800 a month for a five bedroom house in a Tampa Bay, Fla., suburb.
Only one problem: Siddons’ house wasn’t for rent. She hadn’t placed any advertisement on Craigslist. Instead, a con artist had lifted photos of her home and placed them on the site as bait.
read more - http://redtape.msnbc.com/2008/04/fake-craigslist.html
Fake Craigslist Ad Costs Man Most of What He Owns
According to the Seattle Times, an Oregon man is trying to piece his life back together after fake Craigslist ads were posted saying that everything at his home was free for the taking. The ads stated that the owner of the house had to leave unexpectedly, and evidently without any of his possessions.
Farm-owner Robert Salisbury returned home to find approximately 30 people rummaging through his property. Before he had even gotten there, he had unsuccessfully attempted to stop a truck loaded with his lawn equipment from driving past him. Unsuccessfully being the key word in that sentence.
Salisbury’s losses would have been much worse, had a woman, Michelle Eisely, interested in Salisbury’s horse not called. The situation had seemed strange to her — a free horse, after all — so she called him. The Craigslist ad said that the horse had been declared abandoned by the sheriff’s department, but Eisely noted that horse was in good condition and did not seem to have the characteristics of an abandoned animal. Luckily, she harnessed the power of common sense and called Salisbury.
Authorities are working with Craigslist’s legal team to trace the perpetrators, and, to recover the stolen items, which, apparently, include pretty much everything — including the porch swing.
All items can be returned, no questions asked. For Pete’s sake people.
from http://www.switched.com/2008/03/25/fake-craigslist-ad-costs-man-most-of-what-he-owns/
