Craigslist Spam Alert Thread (UPDATED DAILY)

We receive emails daily from people who would like a comprehensive list composed of current Craigslist spamming / Scamming / Fishing activity. The truth is Craigslist will do nothing if you flag a spam message, that's just the cold hard truth. It makes you wonder why they even include a flagging link in corresponding emails. 

We posted a link for resume help and received messages asking us if we're still looking for a job. These messages contain harmful links. This list will be updated indefinitely, please feel free to contribute in the comment section below. 

WARNING: THESE ARE CONFIRMED SPAM/SCAM/PHISHING MESSAGES. IF A GOOGLE SEARCH HAS LED YOU HERE PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW. DO NOT CONTACT ANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS. 

5 Job Offers You Need To Avoid

5. Telemarketing - Anyone who has worked in customer service knows it sucks. In fact, working in a call center sucks period. It's bad enough when you are answering a high number of calls from people complaining, how about calling them to sell something? How many times have you or someone you know hung up on a sales person? Being a telemarketer means you have monthly quotas to meet. If you don't meet those quotas, you're fired. Like all sales jobs, once they're done chewing you, they will spit you out. 

4. Greenpeace Fundraiser - With so many ways to save the world, this can be left off the list. Greenpeace is always hiring "fundraiser associates", which means you're on the sidewalk handing out flyers. The catch is this, you have to get a certain amount of people to sign up for subscriptions in a day. This "subscription" is a monthly charge for people who have a soft spot for the environment. What starts out as a donation, becomes another crooked reoccurring charge scam. If you really want to make a difference in the environment, there are plenty of real opportunities to do so.
     

3. Working From Home - If you're looking for a real job, chances are you need steady income. Working from home making money online works for some people and doesn't work for others. Like all of these shaky offers, it's a gamble. Most job sites are marinated with "work from home" scams. These jobs take so many different forms it's hard to tell them apart. Selling makeup, referring people to websites, assembling products from home and mailing them back, filling out surveys, attending seminars, spamming email, almost all of these jobs you see are part of a pyramid scheme.  

The people behind these scams are extremely desperate for money and will use you to get it. They will sell you a pipe-dream if you let them, and give you a hefty start-up fee to boot. If you get enough of the "Run-around" from other places in your life, avoid this heartbreak.

2. Customer Service (Call Center) - Oh the agony! Sitting in a cubicle answering phone calls, making phone calls, reading a script word for word, navigating through multiple systems with multiple log-ins, having a supervisor plug into your line and sit behind you to observe your performance, all while a customer is ripping your head off.

These jobs are usually filled with the most miserable and depressed people. If you are looking for a job you will want to quit after the first week, then look for a customer service job in a call center.  

1. The "Financial Industry" (Insurance Agent) - If you're currently looking for a job, good chances are you've heard of jobs in the "Financial Industry". For those that don't know, the "Financial Industry" is selling insurance. These business will call you if you're resume is on a job site, set up a fake interview, bring you in a room full of other "Agents", walk around and introduce you, sit you back out in the lobby, bring you in an office, give you a presentation and tell you they need $300 for your background check and license to be an insurance agent. This process doesn't guarantee you a job and the money is non-refundable.

Now if you have that kind of money to gamble on a job where you have to hunt people down to get paid, then this is for you. But if you're looking for a steady income NOW, then I suggest you steer clear of the "Financial Industry".   
 

Interview With The Vampire

Over the years, Craigslist has slowly become a haven for spammers and scam artist. I have responded to job postings before that have just led me into a scams. Of course I've never actually been swindled to the point of losing money, but I have been close. The other day I came across a very interesting situation. I responded to a job posting for a housekeeper position that was paying $40 an hour. The posting was local to me, and mentioned part time. My wife doesn't work, but she wouldn't mind picking up something like housekeeping. 

The response I got was odd, and immediately set off alarms of a possible scam. Here's the response I received:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dear Applicant ,

Thanks for your response and I am glad to read from you regarding the House
Kepper Job. My name is Jack Spencer and My wife' s name is Amy. It is my
pleasure to bring to your notice that my wife Amy is 4 months pregnant with
our first baby . she is relocating to your City from the Republic of
Ireland. she will be coming there to work on contract basis with United
States Environmental Protection Agency on a private research work So i need
someone who would help her take care of the house by doing some house work
while she is at work, As the doctor advised her that she does not need to
stress her self much, Someone that will also help with running some errands
for her.

ABOUT PAYMENT:
------------------
I will be offering you $500 weekly, and she will be needing your services
for 5 hours at any suitable time of yours, Monday through Friday for
12weeks.I believe you are fit for this position in as much you will prove
yourself to be a reliable and good person. Payment arrangement will be done
by me as i will not want you to disturb my wife for the payment.

You will be receiving an over draft cashiers check.Once you receive the
check, you will get the check cashed at your bank, deduct your first week's
pay which is $500 and then wire the remaining balance via western union to
my wife's travel's agent for all her travelling expenses, so we can make a
good and comfortable arrangement for her arrival.
*
**
*NOTE:I will also instruct the Landlord of the house to mail the keys of the
apartment to you so that you can do all other necessary preparations and
cleaning before my wife arrives. All i need from you is total honesty and
sincerity. I know you will be committed to the work, You will also have a
nice period of working with my wife, as she is very friendly and kind.

Kindly email me back if you have read and understood the duties required
from this house keeper position and your are ready to proceed .

Regards
Dr Jack Spencer

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now being the weirdo that I am, I added this persons email to my Skype just out of curiosity. A profile immediately popped up. I clicked on the contact at an attempt to engage the spammer in conversation. My attempt was a success, here's how the conversation went. 

Me:  Hello

Vampire: Hi

Me: I received your email.

Vampire: Huh?

Me: About the job position you had posted. Is this Dr. Spencer?

Vampire: Oh yeah! Hi were you interested? 

Me: Very, so what did you need from me to get started?

Vampire: We need a couple things from you before we get started. Do you have a bank account? What state are you in? How old are you? 

 Wait a minute, lets hit the pause button. Did he just ask me what state I'm in? I thought his wife was moving local to me? Doesn't he know what area he posted the ad in? Not suspicious at all.

Me: Yes I have a bank account. I'm in California, isn't that where your wife is moving? I'm 32, my wife is the one looking for work. 

Vampire: Are you a trustworthy person? Hows your credit?

Me: Of course. My credit is excellent!

Vampire: Ok lets get started with the account number, routing number, and your date of birth. I hope you are a good person because I can't afford you to screw me out of my money. 

At this point, I had enough of the game.

Me: How stupid do you think I am? Why would I give you that info? 

Vampire: This isn't a scam! I'm the one trusting you with my money!! Do you want the job or not? 

Me: I reported your email address, and your ad. I know what you're really up to, I'm not stupid.

Vampire: **** you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me: Who are you really?

Vampire: I have tasted the flesh of fallen angels!!!!!!!!

Me: What the heck? 

He then logged off and never signed back on again. I thought the whole experience was pretty funny. I can't believe there are people out there who are willing to do anything, including risking jail time, for money. 

Hit the streets on your belly and crawl.