Craigslist Scams

I decided to make a scam series, this time I wanted to talk to you about Craigslist scams. I have never used Craigslist for buying or selling. Heck I won’t even use Freecycle even though I get emails for FOUR different locations. Call me cautious. I don’t really like the idea of contacting strangers and going to their home to pick up something. I know many people who have used craigslist for different things, but I have heard too many horror stories, including the craigslist rapist. I like to read craigslist when I am bored. It is kind of like how I used to read the Bargain ads in the paper. I just like to see what’s out there. I would probably never contact someone to actually buy something but I like to look. It’s just not for me and my family.
There are a lot of scams on craigslist especially with cars and even rental homes. If you do end up being a victim you can use  streamline refinance rates to refinance your home to find the lowest prices in your area .

Rule of thumb: If you have to ship a car from somewhere else rather or not you have to pay for shipping it is a scam.

Second Rule of thumb: If you can’t meet with the person in person and get the item or car or keys when you exchange money, it is a scam.

Third rule of thumb: Beware of Western Union, Money Orders, Moneygrams l etc. Heck if I were selling I wouldn’t take a check. I am a cash only type of gal.

I am sure craigslist is a great tool for those who use it, but please be careful in all transactions. If it sounds too good to be true, than it probably is.
Here are some more tips from Craigslist that is a must read if you want to use it. Protect yourself

Craigslist Scams

Email Scams

Lately I have noticed an increase in scams on the internet. There are a lot of scammers that contact you through email. Some of the time it is really obvious it is a scam like when they say you won some ridiculous amount from some kind of lottery. Sometimes I wish that it was real because I would be a multi-trillionaire because “I win” many times a day, every day. Then you have scams that you get through email that make you wonder if it is real. Before I had Noah I signed up for those babysitting and nanny websites. I have had a lot of experience with kids and worked in quite a few daycares and preschools. I went to meet some families and they were all too far away from where I was living and not worth the amount of money I made by the time you took out time and gas for travel there and back.

Of course I got the emails from people wanting me to relocate to like England or New York. I knew those were scams but, when I was pregnant with Noah I got an email. It was from a lady who was relocating to my city and was looking for a nanny. She named a website that I was a member of. I was really excited, it was after all really personalized and everything. I thought that I had a job. I started emailing her back and forth and she said some stuff that started not making sense, like she wanted to send me a check and I would buy her child some toys. I thought that was weird. I have always been taught if it sounds too good to be true than it probably was. I decided to google babysitting scams, the woman’s name etc. I mean her name wasn’t like an obvious scammers name. I finally figured out that my suspicions where true and it was a scam. I was lucky that I hadn’t given her any information accepted a check from her that would have been fake and some horrible tragedy happened and I would have to send money via western union. Some people are not as lucky as me and lose their savings or even end up on Judge Judy.

Scammers are getting more creative and smart. I mean I was reached out through a legitimate website that I was a member of. It wasn’t the first time I was contacted from that site that was looking for a babysitter. I urge you to use precaution when you respond to emails that sound too good be true. You might say you’d never fall for it, and I almost did.

Plastic Balloons

Have you ever played with plastic balloons? They come in little tubes and you put a little of the goop on a straw and blow it up? They also smell kind of funny. I used to love to play with them. I found some at the dollar store a while back and I of course had to buy them. I have great memories of being at my grandparents playing with plastic balloons. I decided I would play with them shortly after I bought them. I was talking to my friend Brandy when I was doing them being a complete dork. I decided I would hit one like a volley ball and I hit it in to my spinning ceiling fan. It was a stupid thing to do. I was really scared. I didn’t mean to hit it THAT hard. Thankfully it didn’t do anything but pop and stick to my ceiling fan. Oops.



Sometimes they get holes in them when you blow them up and you have to either fix the hole or put your finger over it then fix it. It’s easy to do you just pinch it. My favorite thing to do is pop them. I will introduce Noah to them when he gets quite a bit older, since they smell so bad and are kind of tricky. I want to share the memories with my son someday.

Do you remember plastic balloons? Did you play with them as a child?