Always use a proxy email address or phone number.

Always inspect items before forking over the cash.

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

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

Trust your instincts when vetting buyers.

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

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

Webhere are five tips to consider:

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

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

Webavoid making purchases from sellers who are overseas.

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

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

Always meet in person, locally:

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Meet in public and bring a friend.

Stay safe when a buyer comes to your house.

Use a secure form of payment.

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.

Plan details in advance.

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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?

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

Deal locally with people you can meet in person.

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.