Write an article based on this "Research your state's law. Gather information about the incident. Contact your local police department. Get a copy of the police report for your records. Cooperate with investigators."
Police will only investigate activity that violates state criminal law, so find your state's law that applies to criminal fraud and make sure it applies to your case. Specifics differ from state to state, but generally the person must have lied or misrepresented an important fact to induce you into providing him with money or some other benefit. For the crime of fraud, the prosecutor must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person knew the information he was stating was false, but lied anyway to realize an unfair gain. For example, one common Craigslist scam involves fake rental listings. The criminal finds a home for sale on a real estate site and copies the information for a Craigslist ad, using his own email address. When interested would-be renters contact him about the listing, he explains that he has had to leave the U.S. quickly often because of some sort of missionary or other work in Africa. He then instructs the person to wire a deposit of first and last months' rent overseas. Of course, the home is not available for rent and the person who wired the money will probably never hear from the supposed "landlord" again. With a basic understanding of what must be proven to prosecute fraud, make copies of any emails or other information you have that could be of assistance to police and prosecutors. Since the person is trying to trick you, it's likely they've given you a fake name or are using a dummy email account. However, you still should keep records of all correspondence and any information you've received over the course of the transaction. Keep in mind that fraud essentially is theft by deception, so proving the intent to deceive is crucial to any fraud case. If the person didn't know the information they were giving you was false, they may not be liable for fraud. For example, suppose you respond to a Craigslist classified ad posted by someone offering to sell her 2005 Volkswagen Beetle for $8,000. In the listing, she states the vehicle has no mechanical problems. However, after purchasing the car you take it to a mechanic and discover the transmission is blown. The seller isn't guilty of fraud unless it can be proven that she knew the car needed a new transmission and intentionally lied about it to get more money from you for the car. Go to your nearest precinct or call the non-emergency number to report the fraudulent activity. In some areas, you also may be able to fill out an online form to file a police report. Contact information for all local law enforcement agencies in the United States is available at http://www.usacops.com. When you give your report to the police operator or officer, include a detailed, chronological description of all events or communication that took place between you and the perpetrator. Provide as many details as you can and make any documents you have such as copies of email correspondence available to the department. Once the official report is completed, ask for copies and take down the report or reference number in case you need them for other reports. If you are filing an insurance claim or need to report a financial loss to a bank or credit card company, having a police report number can be valuable. As the police investigate the activity, you may need to provide further information to them about the listing or your interaction with the person. Retain the originals of any documents or electronic files in case investigators need to inspect them or use them as evidence. If you have emails with the perpetrator, you should keep the original files intact, if possible, since emails contain header information that can be used to trace the location of the sender.