Watch out for fake ads on craigslist

[wheekmau5]

Watch out for FAKE ads for guinea pigs like: Cute guinea pig *picture of stock image guinea pig*

Look for the ads that have a more lengthier description like "Her name is ____________ and she loves to eat ________, you can hold her and she loves wheeking, contact me by email/my number

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

Is the ad fake or did someone just use a stock photo? I have seen several adds that do not use to a true picture of the object or animal but instead a stock photo. Sometimes people don't have time to take pictures or maybe have lost their camera.

 

[pinky]

It happened to me one time. It was a high school girl rehoming a guinea pig. She used a stock photo and it looked nothing like the one in the ad. I agree it could be that they don't have a camera. I'd just ask if that's the one in the photo before going there.

 

[mufasa]

The way to tell a scam is not so much from the description as from the person's response. Scammers may offer a piggy very cheap or free but will find a way to try to get money out of you. Normally it's the "Wire money to my shipper" routine, although some might mail you a check, claiming they're paying for the shipping but you have to cash the check and wire the money to the shipper. Of course, it comes back bad many weeks later, you're liable for the $$ to the bank, and you never get a piggy. The most basic rule is never, never, never under any circumstances wire anyone money via Western Union or Moneygram for a CL transaction.