People in Morgantown, West Virginia have been enjoying the convenience of the use of Craigslist as an online resource for selling items they have for sale. They additionally locate useful used items on the site. You can locate just about something from nearby dealers such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, farm equipment, furniture, appliances and much more.
In recent years, there have been more and more craigslist scam advertisements acting on the site. It’s getting hard to inform the reputable ads from the phony ones. Here are six money scams that you want to be award of when the use of the Morgantown Craigslist.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is warning residents about a fake check scam.
Morrisey says in a news release his office’s consumer safety division has received reports of buyers receiving counterfeit checks in the mail, consisting of numerous in Lewis County. Because the checks bounce if cashed, the customers are later required to repay the withdrawn amount.
The statement says buyers have obtained letters or emails claiming to represent a variety of sweepstakes, employers or shopping programs.
Morrisey says consumers now not accept checks from unknown sources in order to protect their finances.
Residents who agree with they are a victim of a fake check scam can contact the division at 1-800-368-8808.
The lawyer general’s workplace of West Virginia is warning residents of the place to be on the lookout for rental scams that are taking place on the local Craigslist on-line categorized site. Thieves are stealing statistics from realtors who submit homes for sale on different web sites and the use of it to concoct fake advertisements claiming they very own the home and it’s for rent.
They make up excuses why they can’t meet you in person however inform you to pressure by way of the address of the home and dismiss the for-sale sign in the yard. If you’re interested, you need to entire a rental application which is quickly approved. They insist that you must wire the rental and deposit money to them and that they will send you the keys when the funds are received. They key by no means come and they disappear with your hard-earned cash.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - The West Virginia Attorney General is warning humans when searching for rental houses on Craigslist.
Some people are falling victim via giving their statistics for supposed "credit checks" and others via sending lots of greenbacks for a safety deposit.
The rental scams vary from vacation properties to rental homes right down the street.
Browsing for a new location to live, Arielle Hord went straight to Craigslist.
"I determined a house that was once a two-bedroom that would be given pets for $450 a month, which I thought, oh great, awesome deal," Hord said.
But as an alternative of getting a grand tour, she acquired the run-around.
"His first factor was I am hard of hearing so we will have to do all communication through email," Hord said.
She was adamant to see the inside of her prospective home, however was informed to fill out a questionnaire first and send almost $1,000.
The situation raised a purple flag and she went online to appear for extra information.
"I clearly observed it on a genuine realty company, called the realtor and they said yes, in fact, that is a scam."
Hord isn’t alone.
The West Virginia Attorney General’s workplace has obtained dozens of Craigslist complaints.
"Through this apartment property scam, that on occasion you might also have signs that you may also only see a photograph of the inside of the building, and you would possibly no longer be able to identify that it is simply at that site," West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said.
The Attorney General said you can avoid becoming a sufferer by visiting the property, looking it up on-line and being wary if they ask for cash up front.
But we additionally observed every other way you can protect yourself.
"We can help them track down to see earlier than they do this, before they put up any credit applications, determine whether or not the property is surely owned with the aid of the individual that genuinely listed it," Cabell County Clerk Karen Cole said.
Your county clerk’s office can provide you facts about who owns the property, the physical address and can from time to time get you a smartphone variety for the actual owner.
"I felt like I had been betrayed," Hord said.
While it used to be nerve-racking, Hord played it secure this time around. She didn’t send any cash or information.
But it’s a lesson she hopes other human beings do not have to study on their own.
She additionally said she watches Craigslist ads closer now, for matters like grammar and a telephone number where anyone can be reached.
The Attorney General stated if you have been a victim of a scam, contact their office.
He said if you have already sent your information or money, it may want to be hard to fix, but they work with a number of organizations to try to get better it.
A woman who currently graduated from the University of West Virginia was searching for a job in the categorised section of Craigslist. She found one that sounded suitable only requiring strolling a few errands and performing documentation tasks. She utilized and used to be hired to work. Her boss sent her money orders totalling $1,850 and a check for $2,450.
She was once to credit the drafts into her bank account, hold her earnings and send the hire of the funds via wire switch to a range of exclusive places. After doing so she located that the checks were fake and she was once accountable for $4,000 in debt to the bank as a result. She became the count over to nearby law authorities.
Local realtors are warning residents about a collection of property scams that are taking vicinity in the area. Cons are stealing facts from their listings and the use of them to create phony rental advertisements to area on Craigslist as well as other sites.
They submit pictures and descriptions of the homes and use the ploy to get humans to entire an apartment application so they can steal their identities and it’s a bonus if they can get them to wire apartment money to impenetrable the home. These crooks don’t own the homes they’re marketing and, in many cases, they’re now not even living in the country.
The nearby information station reported on an auto scam that was placed on the nearby Craigslist classified site. Scammers listing pictures of an automobile for sale with a ridiculously low price. They agree to a charge with interested parties and insist on going through eBay because of their buyer and vendor protection program.
They send a phony link through an e mail that appears legitimate with the eBay brand and everything, without it isn’t legit. Another ploy that they use is to have the buyer send charge to any other “shipper” which is a fraudulent agency who continues the money and never sends the car. It’s difficult to catch these scammers so only deal with dealers in person each time possible.