Thieves Find Unsuspecting Victims on Craigslist

For some reason, people don't often apply the same cautious approach to purchasing things off Craigslist as they do to, say, meeting a potential partner off Craigslist. Well, they should. Oakland police have issued a warning after a recent spate of robberies; people who had arranged to meet a seller from the classifieds site were instead held up at gunpoint. The police have offered advice to would-be Craigslist shoppers, and we second their suggestions. Always meet in a public place. (We suggest a crowded Starbucks.) Don't carry large amounts of money to the meeting. (If the item costs a significant sum, meet and check out the item first, sans cash.) And, if anything seems even slightly suspicious, leave immediately.

Most of these tips are applicable to meeting anyone offline for any reason. Just because you're not setting up a romantic rendezvous doesn't mean you're out of harm's way.