![By Gretchen Henderson Craigslist brings the good and bad. You have seen the Lifetime movie Craigslist Killer, but then you’ve also heard how your friend found that sweet deal on a house for next year. Trust your instincts. If the seller or buyer makes you feel uncomfortable at all, trust your gut or take precautionary […]](https://dailyemerald.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/468fd69fc7890e16860f60ac5f2500cc-1200x801.jpg)
By Gretchen Henderson
Craigslist brings the good and bad. You have seen the Lifetime movie Craigslist Killer, but then you’ve also heard how your friend found that sweet deal on a house for next year.
- Trust your instincts.
If the seller or buyer makes you feel uncomfortable at all, trust your gut or take precautionary actions. You might miss out on a discounted dresser, but you may have saved yourself from fraud or something far worse.
- Don’t go alone.
If you have an uneasy feeling, bring a friend or two (or even three). Make it a sorority event. Kidding aside, having someone there will outnumber the potential perpetrator.
- Insist to meet at a public place such as a police precinct.
This might sound aggressive, but it is an easy way to weed out a criminal. If they will not agree to meet in a public place, that should be an automatic red flag for you.
- Do not meet in a secluded area.
If they are asking you to meet them at a house in the boondocks where no one will hear you scream, run the other way.
- Do not invite strangers into your home, and do not go to theirs.
Picture this: they invite you to their house. They have planned out how they will kidnap you and make any potential for escape nearly impossible. Likewise, inviting them to your house is like posting your address on the internet, and when the lights go out, who knows what will show up at your doorstep.
- Perform the transaction during daylight hours.
It’s simple. If you make sure the meeting spot is not secluded and it’s daylight, you are eliminating a lot of the risk.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it normally is.
This is the oldschool “free candy” stunt. Yeah, the man in the sketchy van might seem like he has good intentions, but it ends up with you in the back of the car, never to be seen again. Use your head, and think about why a person would be selling a yacht for $5.
- Tell a friend or family member about your intentions and take your cell Phone.
It is important to tell people where you are going so they can call the police when you’ve been missing for a few days. It is also important to have your phone in case of the interaction going south. Even if you are bringing your friend, let your roommate know where you are going and what you are doing.
