I wrote recently about a twist on the advance fee scam that was cutting into Craig’s List efficacy. Well, thanks to alert reader Maria G. I learned of one of the meanest “practical jokes” ever played on anyone. We have seen in the past how some enterprise scam artist will post an apartment for rent that he does not own but this prank goes one step further.
Some twisted soul posted that he has had to leave the country and that all of his belongings were free to anyone who wants to drop by and pick them up. The ensuing crowd of greedy scavengers descended on the property of the target victim who came home to find his abode gutted and his life in ruins.
Excerpt from the article :
“They were like a pack of vultures,” he said.
Salisbury blocked his driveway and ordered everyone to leave his property. The trespassers, armed with printouts of the ad, tried to brush him off.
“They honestly thought that because it appeared on the Internet it was true,” Salisbury said. “It boggles the mind.”
Evidently Craig’s List (the ogranization) is cooperating with law enforcement to track down the guilty parties here. If this goes on what has become an Internet institution may have to install strong authentication to curtail fraud. I can’t see their business model surviving that.
Anyone have a copy of the original scam post? That one is for my archives!
