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When you respond to a listing or someone responds to a listing you posted, find out if they are local. If you live in a town surrounded by rural areas, there may be people who live some distance from you. However, for the most part, the people selling things on Craigslist should be local to you. If the person lives in another state or another country, consider this a red flag. Craigslist is designed to facilitate local exchanges, not long-distance ones. Even if the person is local, if they insist on doing the transaction over the internet, that is another red flag. Be wary of people who are willing to buy an item sight-unseen, or who want you to buy the item sight-unseen. If you post a listing, many of the first responses you get will typically be from scammers. Look for generic language in response, such as "the item" instead of naming the item you listed for sale. Also be on the lookout for overly flowery or formal language. This typically indicates that the person is not a native speaker of English. While that in and of itself is not necessarily a sign of a scam, being overly formal typically indicates that they're trying to butter you up and win your trust. Some scammers will also send messages that seem overly familiar, even though you've never interacted with them before. They may seem desperate, as though your listing is a lifesaver for them, or they may share overly personal details about themselves, their family, or their situation. Craigslist is meant to be a medium to facilitate an in-person exchange between local people. This sets the site apart from platforms such as Etsy or eBay, where you typically complete the exchange online. If the person isn't willing to meet you in person, they're likely trying to scam you. The person may have a good excuse as to why they can't meet you in person. They may claim that they've been scammed before and want to be extra cautious, or that they had some other bad experience with a Craigslist exchange. However, if their method of caution puts you at the disadvantage, they're probably trying to scam you rather than protect themselves. If they're buying something from you that you listed, they should want to see it in person before they commit to buying it. Most people would, especially if the transaction involves a larger sum of money. If they insist that they'd rather just send you payment and get the item sight-unseen, they're probably trying to scam you. Some scammers will insist that you need to work through someone else to complete the transaction. It may be a friend or relative of theirs or it may be a totally different company or website. they may claim that they want to use this third party for the protection of both of you. If the person wants to bring someone along with them when you make an exchange, that's different from wanting someone else to complete the transaction on their behalf. It's not necessarily suspicious if the person simply wants to bring someone along for their own comfort and safety. The person may send you a link to a different website to complete the transaction. Don't click on this link it may be a way to get personal information about you that the scammer can use to steal your identity.
Figure out where the person is located. Analyze the information provided when you get a response to your listing. Find out if the person is willing to meet in person. Deal only with the buyer or seller directly rather than a third party.