Tips to Protect Yourself from Craigslist Bandits

I was listening to the radio and heard yet another Craigslist scam. It seems that an Oakland California citizen went to purchase a car they saw advertised on Craigslist. When he met to look at an purchase the car he was robbed at gun point. Years ago when I was looking for a car for my daughter, I saw a great deal for a nice car..but my Spidey senses went off. Days later on the news it was reported that this car posted on Craigslist was stolen.

Craigslist and similar sites like Backpages, or E-bay are the internet’s version of the thieves Market. It is a great place to find great deals and to sale those household items you no longer want. It’s also a great place to find and provide honest services. However, as Craigslist continues to grow in popularity it is attracting all kinds of low lifes. Including and not excluding rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and other forms of jiggery-pokery. These members of our society are ruining the Craigslist experience for honest folks

Like many other industries the owners of Craigslist is working hard to stay ahead of cleaver criminals who are misusing the service for their own criminal activity. The operators of the Craigslist service have done everything it can to protect the identity of its users, but the growing criminal problem is out of their hands. If you watch the news or do an internet search there continues to be numerous stories of trickery, thievery, rape, and even murder which all stemmed from posted listings.

Unfortunately, there are a variety of people who post vehicles for sale on Craigslist, and some of them may be out to scam you. One common scam involves the seller or someone working with them stealing the car back mere days after completion of the sale.

You may be aware of Philip Markoff, the infamous Craigslist killer. Who killed escorts he met on Craigslist.

In another story a man sprayed pepper spray in the face of a 51-year old man who had $14,500 worth of jewelry for sale. The man tricked the seller into driving him to another location where he said the money was at and instead got a face full of pepper spray and his jewels snatched, without any exchange of money.

Here are 10 Tips to Protect Yourself from Craigslist Evil-Doers

Craigslist is much more than a feeding ground for thieves. You can find a lot of treasures on Craigslist and make plenty of sales through its use, but you should rightfully be cautious. Here are some safety tips which might help you have a legitimate Craigslist transaction.

Trust your instincts. Notice how this is almost always one of my safety tips. That strange feeling is your early warning system. If you don’t feel right about something then pass it up. Leave the cheese in the trap. Safety first.

Meet at the Police/Fire Department. What will be more discouraging to the plans of a thief than suggesting to meet at your local authority.

Never EVER bring money. Bringing money for large sales items (such as buying a vehicle) is like wearing a “FREE MONEY” sign. You should be very cautious at these types of transactions, Why can’t they take a cashier check or stand in line at a bank with you? What is their motive? I’ve sold stuff on Craigslist and asked for cash. But the people came to my house, to see what they were buying. So it’s not like I could easily be a scam artist.

Get a callback number. Make sure you have a phone number to contact the seller/buyer. Having a phone number doesn’t mean can’t still con you. In this digital age criminals ten to use throw away cell phones. However, having a phone number does give you a starting point in case something does go wrong.

Ask yourself if this Too good to be true. The people robbed in Oakland went for unbelievable bargains. If it really is too good to be true then it usually is. You should shop for a bargain, but watch out for those steals! Those deals where you’ll never be able to find anywhere else, so you need to react impulsively.

Never Go Alone!. This will not always deter an assailant from attacking you or robbing you blind, but it does give you an edge and can potentially discourage a robbery. Bring a BIG or at least wise friend along for the ride. If you know someone who carries a badge, that’s even better.

Ask lots personal questions first. Over the phone you should strike up a conversation. Ask their first and last name? Ask what school they graduated from? Ask them what street they grew up on? Ask about their husband, wife, or kids? Be personal and chatty. Write down all the information you have. TO be fair, with the rise of identity theft, some people may not volunteer personal information.

Tell someone where you are going. Always let a friend, family member, or co-worker know about your plans to visit a Craigslist buyer/seller. Make sure they have all the information you wrote down including phone numbers, location, date and time. Just in case you are never heard from again, or go missing.

Never make quick judgment calls. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise (Proverbs 12:15) Stick to the plan (and the payment), never go outside the plan. Don’t go to another location at the last-minute, don’t get into the car with anyone, don’t change plans, etc.

Carry a cell phone. Make sure you have a fully charged cell phone in hand just in case you need to make an emergency phone call. Also if your phone as a GPS locator, which tells the cell phone companies where you are (or rather the cell phone). Make sure it is activated. It’s a common feature on newer phones.

Have some protection You should always carry some non-lethal self-defense weapons. A stun gun, taser, pepper spray, a telescopic baton are good examples. Each if used will afford you enough time to escape and get help, if you need too.

Just like society itself many of the people you meet or deal with are fairly honest and decent. However, criminals do exist in our society. The same can be said of the people who use Craigslist. Many of them are honest and only want to conduct a fair l business, but for those times when someone is out to con you the tips above may save you either money or your life . Be safe and make the best of your on-line experience

 

 

PepperEyes.com is dedicated to providing you with the best and most affordable personal protection products on the market to meet the security needs of you, your family members or your business, by assisting anyone who is unwilling to become a victim of crime.  If you want to take personal responsibility for yourself, your home or your business, buy our high quality discount personal protection products and arm yourself with the knowledge of the best way to stay secure in an ever-increasing violent world. In today’s society being equipped mentally and physically is no longer an option.    

Even Tyler Perry could have beeen a victim of a burgulary.

I got this from a Tyler Perry posting over the holidays. The first part of his message told about the mindset of orphans he treated to a shopping spree at Target.  This part of the letter is just to reiterate the seriousness of home invasion and robberies.

For those of you who don’t know who Tyler Perry is. He is an African-American actor, director, playwright, screenwriter, producer, and author. Already a successful artist in Southern theater, Perry began to make national celebrity status in 2005 with the release of his first movie, Diary of a Mad Black Woman. In 2009, Perry was ranked by Forbes magazine as the sixth highest-paid man in Hollywood. As of July 2009, Perry’s films had grossed nearly $400 million worldwide. He has an interesting rag to riches story which just proves the greatness of America.

 When I built my house three years ago, I remember having an argument with my security team because I thought what they were doing was overkill. After listening to their side, I gave in and let them do what they wanted. So, on my property there are cameras everywhere, night vision cameras, sensor lighting, laser sensors, underground laser sensors, a guard dog, 24-hour armed bodyguards and a few other things that I can’t mention. When it was done, I was thinking, “This is ridiculous, I don’t need all of this crap!” That was until tonight. Last night I was home in bed on a high from these kids. At about 3am my phone rings. This special line never rings in my house, so I knew something was wrong. I answered and I hear this voice say, “Sir, I need you to be alert. There are three intruders on the property.” It was my security. I sat straight up thinking, “You have got to be kidding me!”

 The phone rings again a short time later and it was my security team saying that they had apprehended the intruder and the police were talking to the person now. When the police asked the person what they were doing,the answer was they were looking for money. He also recognized this person from another attempted home invasion down the street from me. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? I was so mad! I have worked my entire life being homeless, broke, struggling and hungry, but I would never rob anybody. What happened to making your own way? What happened to honesty and integrity? What happened to doing the right thing so that God can bless you? Man oh man, this made me upset!

 I will be on the phone with the D.A.’s office and the Chief of Police in a little bit to make sure that these other people are caught and that all of them are prosecuted to the fullest. I will give ’till I can’t give anymore. That’s my heart, but to try and rob, or steal from me! If all three of them were looking for trouble they found it!

 To anyone who may be thinking about doing the wrong thing. To anyone who may have been in crime, but is trying to go straight–doing the wrong thing is easy and for cowards! To walk upright when everything is going wrong is the only true way to success. That takes a real man or woman. There were many times I could have done the wrong thing–gotten easy money. But because I chose to do the right thing, God honored that and blessed me. Choose the blessing and not the curse. It’s for your own good.

 Merry Christmas,

 Tyler

 

You and I don’t have Tyler’s money, but this does not prevent you from doing smart things to prevent your home from being a target for would be robbers. 

1. Get some type of Alarm System
2. Read up on things you can do to make your home safer…then implement them.
3. Have a Neighborhood Watch Program
4.  Security Camera are nice too.

Read Also

A Good Way to Stop a Home Invasion

PepperEyes.com is dedicated to providing you with the best personal protection products on the market to meet the security needs of you, your family members or your business, by assisting anyone who is unwilling to become a victim of crime.  If you want to take personal responsibility for yourself, your home or your business, buy our high quality discount personal protection products and arm yourself with the knowledge of the best way to stay secure in an ever-increasing violent world. In today’s society being equipped mentally and physically is no longer an option.

Crime has fallen…for now

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – 2010 had a less violent start than 2009. The Federal Bureau of Investigation released its Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime report from January to June 2010. Violent crime rates fell 2.6 percent from January through June nationally, compared to the figures reported for the same period in 2009. It includes violent crime category from murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Property crimes nationally also decreased to 2.8 percent compared to last year. Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. Arson decreased 14.6 percent.

So what is going on here, are we really safer?  In theory, in times of recession, crime rates go up,” says the co-director of Justiceworks, a crime and justice research group at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. Tight finances, Mr. Kirkpatrick explains, tend to boost property crime and robberies, and financial stress often produces more domestic violence

Reasons why crime is down 

• Incarceration – in the last ten years society as built more and bigger jails.
• The Economy – During severe recessions like the current one, with chronically high unemployment rates, more people are at home and can act as protectors  for their homes and a larger neighborhood watch force.
• More Law Enforcement - “Policing is more proactive,” asserts Bushway of the University at Albany.  “It’s simply getting harder to commit crime,” he says. “Surveillance Cameras are everywhere. Anytime there’s a robbery, you can bet there’s a number of pictures taken. That’s forcing illicit behavior underground where it’s less detectable.”
• Social programs – Law enforcement and community leaders  have worked with  groups for years to develop programs to keep youths engaged, provide them outlets, and combat crime. Those efforts may finally be paying off, criminologists say.
• Crime has moved – The statistics used to generate these numbers were based on the monitored crime rates of certain cities. However, if you monitor many of the smaller cities and towns around larger cities, I think the crime trend would be different. Untill recently you never heard about the gang violence that has moved into Small town USA.
• More Responsible Citizens – There are several things that are influencing more citizens to take more responsible for their own safety, and doing smarter things to reduce their chances of becoming a crime statistics. Over the past few years more citizen have been making wiser choices and many have purchased security and personal protection products.

Don’t have a False Sense of Security.  

Crime rate is cyclical, it has highs and lows, and while these indicators seem to indicate that crime has fallen, the news indicates that crime is still ever present in our lives.  Take a look at these stories that have happened in the past few weeks:

• On Nov. 22, Charles Boyer was shot to death when he and his girlfriend tried to flee robbers near her Virginia-Highland apartment.
• On Nov. 23, a woman was raped in a Grant Park home after three men tied up her two male roommates after one of the roommates was kidnapped on the street. Police arrested three men in that incident. As of Monday, no one has been arrested in the Boyer case.
• In November, a woman returned to her home in the Reunion Place subdivision in southwest Atlanta and discovered burglars inside the house. She sounded her horn and the thieves fled, but not before one assailant shot four times in her direction, with a bullet striking her car, said Don Jeanne, head of the neighborhood association. No arrest has been made in that case.
• Dorchester County, SC  also saw a surge in burglaries and larcenies in 2010. Maj. John Garrison said the economy may be partly to blame. Copper thefts have been a particular problem. Thieves even broke into a Sheriff’s Office evidence compound several weeks ago to steal 200 pounds of copper that had been seized by deputies, he said.

 Therefore, don’t get lulled into a false sense of security.  Crime is still very real in our society, and you can still be it’s latest victim. 

• ·         Stay Vigilant and take responsibility for the your family and possessions.
• ·         Be mindful of what is going on in your neighborhoods.
• ·         Make sure you have all your deterrents in place.

  

PepperEyes.com is dedicated to providing you with the best personal protection products on the market to meet the security needs of you, your family members or your business, by assisting anyone who is unwilling to become a victim of crime.  If you want to take personal responsibility for yourself, your home or your business, buy our high quality discount personal protection products and arm yourself with the knowledge of the best way to stay secure in an ever-increasing violent world. In today’s society being equipped mentally and physically is no longer an option. 

 

 

A message from Sir Partick Steward

Dear reader,

Today’s entry is not our normal positing, however since the goals of this message from Sir Patrick, has the same aims as my organization I thought I would post it here.

Amnesty members take actions every day to stop violence against women. Stand with me now. Become a member of Amnesty International.  
          
Dear  Reader,

 I know too much about violence against women – as a child I watched in terror as my mother was abused by an angry and unhappy man who could not control his emotions, nor his hands.

Many people in our community knew what was happening – but no one did anything about it.
That’s why I support Amnesty International’s work to stop violence against women worldwide.
Shine a light for women and girls at risk. Join Amnesty International today.

         As a child witnessing violence, I could not help feeling responsible for the pain, the screaming, and the misery. It is difficult to escape these feelings as an adult; they stay with you.

            Amnesty International understands that violence against women affects the fabric of our communities, and its members take actions every day to support the struggle to stop these abuses.

            Amnesty was instrumental in the passage of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 – signed into law by President Obama in July. This law begins to reverse the alarming rate of sexual violence against Native American and Alaska Native women. Survivors of sexual assault finally stand a real chance of getting a police response, a rape kit and the opportunity to see their case prosecuted.

            Amnesty is also a driving force behind the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA), which aims to revolutionize the way U.S. foreign policy confronts abuses like domestic violence, rape, honor killings and human trafficking worldwide. If passed, IVAWA will support measures to prevent violence, protect survivors and bring perpetrators to justice.

            I am immensely proud of all that Amnesty has achieved in its remarkable 50-year history. It is our duty to carry on this life-saving work. We must shine this light to the future, until human rights are a reality for everyone.

            I urge you to join Amnesty today.     

            We can help stop violence against women today.

            
            Sincerely, 
            Patrick Stewart

PepperEyes.com is dedicated to providing you with the best personal protection products on the market to meet the security needs of you, your family members or your business, by assisting anyone who is unwilling to become a victim of crime.  If you want to take personal responsibility for yourself, your home or your business, buy our high quality discount personal protection products and arm yourself with the knowledge of the best way to stay secure in an ever-increasing violent world. In today’s society being equipped mentally and physically is no longer an option.