Craigslist Scam From Afar Targets Local Residents

For online shoppers and sellers, the drill seems easy enough: List an item in need of unloading for a price you and the buyer deem fair.

But for multiple Craiglist users in the area, the exchanges have been downright illegal, according to police.

In New Baltimore alone, four people reported scams on the popular site in the past month while Chesterfield Township has seen variations of the scheme for months.

The scam generally goes like this: A criminal posing as a regular shopper buys an item listed on Craigslist, sending the seller a fraudulent check for well above the agreed-upon price. Before the victim discovers the check is fake, the criminal asks them to wire back the difference.

"What they're trying to do is get you to wire back the money before you figure out," Sgt. Thomas Cuthbertson said Tuesday.

Targeting residents from overseas

Most of the time these criminals are operating overseas, from as far away as Haiti, Cutherbertson said.

A recent local case involving a set of speakers and a temporary Texas bank account under a fake name stemmed from criminals in Central America. Another incident in which a criminal wrote a check for more than $2,000 above the asking price for a car also originated overseas, he said.

Those networks of fake identifications, bank accounts and locations often lead to a lack of prosecution, police said.

Avoiding the scam

New Baltimore and Chesterfield police say online shoppers and sellers need to be careful. Among their tips:

• If you're selling something online, never send the buyer money. "If someone is asking you to send them money, red flags should go up," Chesterfield Detective Sgt. Deron Myers said Tuesday.
• You should always try to do the exchange in person, preferrably in public. "It's generally safer if you can meet these people and see exactly what you are buying," Myers said.
• If you come across anything suspicious, report it immediately to police in your jurisdiction. Chesterfield police may be reached at 586-949-2322. New Baltimore police may be reached at 586-725-2181.