Craigslist Scams Cost Westlake Residents Thousands

WESTLAKE, OH — Two different Westlake residents were ripped off using separate Craigslist scams on the same day. The ploys cost each person more than $1,000.

"Be cautious when buying or selling on Craigslist or other online market places," Westlake Police said in a statement on the scams. "If the buyer pays over [the] asking price and asks for return cash or the purchase of gift cards it is probably a scam. Double check properties for sale or rent on these sites as well."

Both scams happened on Wednesday, Dec. 12. First, a man came to Westlake Police Department to report he had lost nearly $1,000 in a Craiglist scam. The whole thing started when the man listed his BMW for sale on the website.

After listing the car, the man got an offer from a prospective buyer from Cincinnati. The duo exchanged details and the Westlake resident later got a check for more than the asking price of the car. The buyer said the extra money was for shipping costs and he wanted the funds sent to a tow company via Western Union. The Westlake resident agreed to send the money.

After the funds went out, the man learned the original check was no good. Luckily, the Westlaker still had the BMW but he was out nearly $1,000, police said.

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That same day, Dec. 12, another resident came to Westlake Police to talk about a different scam.

This time, the resident had seen an ad for a house for rent in Colorado on Craigslist. She responded and began writing emails back-and-forth with the "owner" of the home. The two exchanged a sublease document and then the Westlake resident sent more than $2,000 via wire transfer.

It was only when the keys to the rental home did not arrive that the woman began to feel suspicious. She researched what might be going on and discovered that none of the persons she had communicated with owned the rental home. She was out the money she had sent.

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