Beware the Latest Craigslist Scam
May 15, 2007
Provident Credit Union has learned recently of a new scam perpetuated on credit union members via Craigslist. The listing purports to represent several different credit unions, and offers to pay you to "sponsor" other people who would not otherwise be eligible for membership, so that they may join too. Here is an example of one we found.
Don't believe it. While we may sometimes have promotions that reward you to "refer a friend", the person you refer must be eligible (through a family relationship to you, or by living or working in one of our areas of coverage, or by belonging to a company or organization that is an official Provident sponsor). Provident Credit Union does not pay you to circumvent legally established eligibility rules, nor do other reputable credit unions.
What these scammers are usually really after is your personal account information, so that they can break into your account or use the information for identity theft and fraud. Please save yourself a world of problems and hassle by not responding to the person or e-mail in the listing. You can report suspicious listings to Craigslist via the "prohibited" link in the box in the upper right corner of its Craigslist page.
When dealing with your financial security, it is always better to be too suspicious than not suspicious enough, and you should always maintain a healthy dose of skepticism for any offer that sounds like it might be illegal and is not promoted on the credit union's Web site.
Recognizing Other Common Craigslist Scams:
The most common scams on Craigslist involve cashiers checks (which might initially clear and then later are found to be fraudulent) and wiring money. Look out for these warning signs:
- Someone sends you a check for more than the amount you're owed and asks you to wire money to them in return.
- You've only ever communicated with the buyer by e-mail or phone and you've never met with the buyer face-to-face before finalizing the transaction.
- You are asked to lie about the circumstances of a check you receive, or you are pressured to act quickly.
- The name of the check issuer seems odd, or you receive a business check from a business or individual account that is different from the person buying your item.
- A foreign company offers you a job receiving payments from customers, and requires you to then wire the funds.
- A distant seller asks for a partial payment upfront, after which he will ship goods.
