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craigslist lexinton News Sherelle Roberts

Man Gets Robbed After Posting Ad at Craigslist

Lexinton police are investigating a robbery on a man who sold items on Craigslist Tuesday in Lexington, Kentucky. Police spokeswoman Sherelle Roberts indicated that the robbery was the third or the fourth instance of a crime committed that was hatched through Craigslist where people usually post items for sale or trade anonymously.

About 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, police received a call from an apartment complex parking lot located on 3500 block Laredo Drive. The caller told police that he had posted on Craigs list some items for sale and had driven to Laredo Drive to meet with the buyer.

Upon arriving at the scene, the victim relates that two men pointed a gun at him and robbed him of several expensive items which include; an iPad tablet computer, an iPod MP3 player, the victim’s wallet and an iPhone. It is still unclear what items that the victim is planning to sell to the disguised buyers who turned out to be robbers.

Sherelle Roberts cautioned Craigslist sellers and buyers to only agree in meeting buyers in safe, well lit and busy places during daytime and avoid meeting in isolated places where no witnesses are around to help you in cases that it becomes a robbery instead of a simple buy and sell transaction.

“Don’t go to people’s homes or secluded areas,” Roberts said. “If someone is not willing to meet you in a public place … then you should not do business with that person.”

The World Wide Web can be a useful tool to trade items to other people, but it can also become a tool of criminals, that’s why extra caution is needed whenever someone deals with anonymous people online.

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Craigslist tips

BBB Warns Public to Exercise Caution When Using Craigslit

The BBB or the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota has warned the public to exercise caution when using Craigslist.org, an online personal ads service.

“There are certainly deals to be found online, but it’s good for both buyers and sellers to remember they’re usually dealing with people unfamiliar to them,” said BBB President and CEO Dana Badgerow. “There are risks involved and we feel it’s very important that people take the time to pause and consider both their personal and financial security.”

Craigslist has somehow become a source of good buys and deals for many people, just like in real life most Craigslist sellers and buyers are honest. However there are instances that it was being used by a few people to commit crimes by either duping, robbing or scamming online buyers or sellers alike.

The BBB has issued a few precautionary tips when using Craigslist:
– Deal first with local sellers and buyers
– Avoid wiring money
– Do not reveal your personal financial information and Social Security number
– Never apply for jobs that requires you to pay
– Home or apartment rentals should be checked in person before paying a down payment
– Strongly consider if it’s always worth selling an expensive item by comparing it with any profit you might make.

These are just some of the cautionary measures the BBB has advised those who are using Craigslist. While it will never deter those with intent on committing crimes online, it does lessen the chances of you getting scammed or fooled.

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