How do scams work on Craigslist?

Craigslist is deliberately minimal — no user accounts required, no verification, no payment system — which makes it a persistent target for fraud despite its longevity. Most scam patterns on Craigslist are variations of a few core tactics adapted to different listing categories.

For sellers, the classic threat is the overpayment check scam: a buyer sends a cashier's check for more than the asking price and asks the seller to deposit it and wire back the difference. The check is fraudulent and bounces after the wire transfer has been sent. A variation has emerged using Zelle or Venmo with fake payment screenshots.

For buyers, the risk is paying for items or services that do not exist. Rental listings are a particularly high-loss category: a scammer posts a property they do not own (often copied from a legitimate listing) and collects application fees and first-month deposits from multiple prospective tenants who never receive keys.

Craigslist job listings range from legitimate postings to advance-fee schemes requiring payment for training materials or background checks. The platform does publish extensive scam warnings and advises transacting locally and in person — a good practice that eliminates most remote scam vectors.