Seller Reports Phone As Stolen After Purchase
Granted, this form of scam isn’t as common, but it can happen. The way this works is that you buy a phone from someone and actually receive the phone.
But after a short while, the original owner calls the carrier and reports the phone as stolen, leaving you with a non-functioning phone.
The worst part is that you can’t really do anything about it. Most carriers will only recognize the original owner and won’t unlock the phone for you.
The reason why this isn’t as common as other forms of scams is that there’s not really much in it for the scammer unless they’re just a bad person who wants to be vindictive and lock your phone for no apparent reason.
The seller still needs to actually give you the device, so there’s little profit from reporting it stolen later unless they’re working another angle, such as hoping to dupe you into believing you did something wrong and then trying to buy it back from you (or sell it to an accomplice) at a much lower price.
Unfortunately, though, there’s nothing you can do to prevent this. So the best course of action is to either buy from a seller you know you can trust or spend the extra money and buy a phone at the store.
Stay Safe Out There
Craigslist is a fantastic website that can help you find even free stuff, but that doesn’t mean it’s always safe. Be aware of every ad you see on the platform, and remember that if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
The best way to avoid scams is to meet in person with the seller or buyer. Be sure to do it in a public place and if you can, bring someone with you.
If the seller or buyer isn’t cooperating with you, it’s best to skip the deal.