Craigslist users fall prey to robberies

[pickel]

Craigslist users fall prey to robberies - SFGate

The married couple from Fremont thought they were buying a silver 2003 Mercedes-Benz through Craigslist.

After meeting the seller at the Lake Merritt BART Station this week in Oakland, they climbed in the back seat of the luxury car and were driven to their bank, where they withdrew $8,500 to complete the deal.

Minutes later, the seller picked up a second man - and that's when the guns came out. The Fremont couple - forced out of the car and stranded on an Oakland freeway - had just become victims of one of a growing list of Craigslist robberies, dubbed by police "robberies by appointment."

LESSON: ALWAYS give a personal check and get a notarized bill of sale at the bank.

Along with the KEYS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lost-and-found]

Lesson #2, don't trust anyone in Oakland. Actually no one should ever set foot in that craphole of a place.

[Mike]

Welcome back to TIMO, LAF.

Unfortunately, you came back to rip on the O-A-K!

[lost-and-found]

Thanks Mike. I lurk around from time to time. What have you been up to?

[CERuppel]

Lesson #2a: Do not trust...

Seriously though, DO NOT TRUST. Get the facts (just had that old TV show line "Just the facts..." run thru my head). Get the facts and do a little prep ahead of time (as mentioned in the article).

Simple prep like public meeting place, cell phone (and send out pics of seller/merchandise), bring a friend, and finally DO NOT PAY CASH.

More prep would involve looking up relative value of similar items, checking the sellers name/address...

This takes maybe thirty minutes on-line*; about the same you put into finding the ad.

*: But do you trust the on-line info???

[RicheemxX]

I've watched a few scam shows and some people on them were literally handing their keys over to complete strangers to let them "test drive" the cars before they bought them. In other cases they scammed them out of leaving the keys in the car while the seller goes back in and they literally just drive off with the car.

In some case the people are really naive in others they are just way too trusting and have that "it won't happen to me" attitude.

[PoonDoggy]

Lesson #2, don't trust anyone in Oakland. Actually no one should ever set foot in that craphole of a place.

That IS a little harsh there

[Chuckiechan]

That IS a little harsh there

Uhhh... no it isn't. They are lucky they weren't killed just for the hell of it.

The way to buy or sell a car is to go to the person's bank with them and do a direct transfer to your bank - it's paperless now, and sign over everything in the lobby.

If they don't have a bank, and they are driving a car worth more than $2000, that is a red flag.

[pickel]

If they don't have a bank, and they are driving a car worth more than $2000, that is a red flag.

I resemble the remark !!

I paid $ 1000.00 for my Firebird TA, $1350.00 for my Chevy pickup truck and $ 1200.00 for my Dodge Stealth !!!!!

[Chuckiechan]

I repeat...

[lost-and-found]

That IS a little harsh there

have you been to Oakland? My co-worker got his car stolen from his driveway in Oakland in broad daylight. I know every city has its bad spots, but seriously the crime rate in Oakland is out of this world.

[Mike]

No way! Car stolen in broad daylight in Oakland? That couldn't happen in Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno, Richmond, San Leandro, San Jose, or anywhere else in California!

[lost-and-found]

No way! Car stolen in broad daylight in Oakland? That couldn't happen in Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno, Richmond, San Leandro, San Jose, or anywhere else in California!

Obviously someone needs to learn to read past the second sentence .

I know every city has its bad spots, but seriously the crime rate in Oakland is out of this world.

[Mike]

I know plenty of people that live and work in Oakland without any problem. There are definitely certain parts of the city where you don't want to be, but it's all about knowing your surroundings.

[sharder8]

Went to school at Naval School Treasure Island, while staying at Oakland Army Depot . . . didn't dare leave base without being on the military bus with all the other troops.

Spent some time with the family walking the streets of China Town . . . GREAT time, no fears.

Same goes for Fisherman's Wharf.

Some parts of the Bay Area I have no fear or second thought of taking the family to . . . Oakland . . . NO WAY!


Harder

[Taxmancometh]

Oakland can't be as bad a Chicago at the moment.

[Mike]

Oakland is significantly smaller than Chicago. Even so, it's not uncommon for them to rack up 100+ homicides per year. A lucrative illegal drug market has street gangs fighting for domination of a LOT of money up for grabs. To make matters worse, the Oakland PD is underfunded and extremely corrupt/unreliable.

[Chuckiechan]

There is a church on San Pablo avenue that put crosses on the lawn for every murder starting on January 1st. They are running out of room already.

[Lokeai]

A lot of bad guys are out there on craigslist. You gotta be wary, especially in buying a car. Check this to be guided: Car Scams on Craigslist | Scam On Craigslist