The patterns that repeat
Most Craigslist scams rely on a few familiar tricks. Sellers receive fake checks or fake payment confirmations and are asked to refund an overpayment. Buyers send money for items that do not exist or pay a deposit to hold something that is never delivered. Others are asked to share a verification code sent to their phone, which lets the scammer set up an account tied to their number. Because a deposited check can show as available before the bank discovers it is counterfeit, the person who deposited it is usually responsible to the bank when it comes back, which surprises many people.
After the money is gone
Contact your bank or payment app right away and explain what happened; card payments may be disputable, while transfers you sent yourself are harder to recover. Keep the ad, the messages, email addresses, phone numbers, and payment records, and report the posting to Craigslist. File a report with local police and with the federal fraud complaint site. If you shared a verification code, check your accounts and reclaim anything the scammer may have set up using your number. Meeting in person later to confront the scammer is not worth the risk. If you sold an item and the buyer's payment later reversed, keep the listing and every message, because those records show the sale was made in good faith.
If you are the one being accused
Sometimes the person who answers a listing ends up in trouble: a seller unknowingly sells stolen goods, or a buyer deposits a check sent by someone else and forwards the money. If police or a bank contact you, keep your records, do not delete conversations, and talk to a lawyer before giving a detailed statement. If you are in that position, we go through the listing, the payment trail, and who you dealt with before you say anything further. We also look at whether you face a repayment demand, an account closure, or a criminal inquiry, and decide how to respond to each.
