Police warn against Craigslist scammers

The Eau Claire Police Department is asking people to be cautious when shopping for homes online, after several scams have been reported.

Police say this is a frequent scam that they see on several platforms like Craigslist.

“Our officers and our dispatch center fields a lot of calls and questions regarding scams in our community, especially online scams and phone scams,” said Officer Bridget Coit.

Police say one thing to look for, is a seller asking for money online.

One Eau Claire resident, Riley Winrich, was almost a victim to a scammer when looking for a place to live, but saw the red flags before it was too late.

Winrich says the ad looked normal and legitimate. It was when the seller asked her to send money online, when a red flag went up.

“Once he told me he was in Texas, it just did not feel right,” said Winrich.

Police say that scammers can come from as far as outside of the country, where English may be a second language, so one thing to pay attention to is spelling and grammar in an email.

“Be diligent, go with your gut feeling and if something doesn't feel right, don't go through with it,” said Winrich.