Maybe It's Time Craigslist Charged For Some Postings

This isn’t to pick on craigslist specifically, as this type of thing occurs all over the Net, especially where it’s free to post what other outlets charge for. Craigslist served a crushing blow to inflated classified ad prices in newspapers, and no one but newspapers complained. But besides profiting newspapers, the fees for posting an ad are natural scam deterrents.  

That doesn’t mean they’re nonexistent, but it does mean scams are perpetrated less often when there’s a cost of conducting one. And though craigslist lovers across the world would likely protest (for a short time), it may be time for craigslist to enact at least nominal fees for posting certain types of ads, especially employment and real estate ads.

Real estate scams, especially involving rental properties aren’t new, and craigslist warns renters about transactions not made in person. Most of the scams there involve someone posting a real address and pictures, but the property is posted for much lower than the market rate, ensuring lots of inquiries. The “landlord” claims to be out of the country, and if the renter sends a deposit and first month’s rent, then they’ll send a key for move-in. Scammer keeps the money, renter gets bupkis.

But recently a new con has emerged involving real estate, and it’s pure information phishing and/or affiliate gaming.  When a prospective renter inquires, the landlord responds promising a walk-through on a nonexistent apartment, delivers an application, and 50 responses to each job ad—and that has to be much greater in some places. It’s unclear what 50 people’s personal information is worth, but when an ad is free to post, whatever the scammer gets is pure profit.