Craigslist free stuff hoax

[edible_hat]

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/storie....1ffb2c9c.html

Somebody posted ads on Cragslist saying that a home owner had to leave the area suddenly and his stuff was free for the taking. It was a hoax, but that didn't stop people turning up to take stuff. Apparently even when they were told it was a hoax, people resorted to "but it was on the internet" as a defence. The guy's getting some of his stuff back now that everybody knows it was a hoax.

If I'd been one of the people who took stuff, I'd return it and give him some cash by way of apology and to make up for the arseholes who won't return what they took.

[draggar]

That's awful and I'm willing to bet the @$$holes who posted the ads will never get caught, as much as I hope they do get caught.

[JLRodgers]

I hope they charge the person who posted the ads for a crime -- and not try to hold craigslist responsible (like they tried to do with housing ads).

Well it's just something else new I have to monitor for on my company's websites.

[edible_hat]

I hope they charge the person who posted the ads for a crime -- and not try to hold craigslist responsible (like they tried to do with housing ads).

It says that detectives have contacted the Craigslist legal team. Also that anybody who returns what they took won't be charged with anything, but anyone caught with anything from the house will be charged.

[JLRodgers]

It says that detectives have contacted the Craigslist legal team. Also that anybody who returns what they took won't be charged with anything, but anyone caught with anything from the house will be charged.

While catching the "accidental thieves" is important -- catching the real person behind it is a lot better. If not I just fear more and more people will try to do that type of thing, and they'll know they can get away with it.

[Hello Kitty]

I'm glad he's getting some of his stuff back. There's a reasonable hope they catch the person. craigslist will have logs of the poster's IP and timestamp, so as long as the poster was relying on the anonymity of craigslist (and not otherwise faking their IP), and the police follow up with subpoenas to craigslist and the ISP, the poster of the fake ad should get caught.

[Andara Bledin]

Well, the news report said they had traced the ad to a home, so unless the perpetrators are exceedingly savvy, they're going to get caught.

That's just awful.

^-.-^