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Robber Using Craigslist To Meet Victims
David Utter
Staff Writer
2006-07-05
 Insider Reports RSS Feed
A criminal described as a serial robber has been drawing victims to him by using ads on Craigslist to entice them into meetings.
 | | Robber Using Craigslist To Meet Victims |  |
Craig Newmark never intended his Craigslist site to be a launching pad for crime. In San Jose, three people who were either buying or selling something met with the robber at an arranged location before falling into his trap.
CBS 5 in the Bay Area reported the robber was likely the same person each time, based on descriptions obtained by police. The criminal would either take the property offered by the seller, or cash from buyers, and then flee.
Since anonymity online is a feature of classified ads and forum postings on Craigslist, tracking down the gun-wielding assailant could be difficult, depending on whether or not he varied the IP addresses from which he posted or responded to posts on the site.
Police are hopeful they can track the robber down. A Mercury News article about the case noted police comments that the robber corresponded with his victims, and that could lead them to him:
We want to make the public aware of what is going,'' San Jose police Sgt. Nick Muyo said. ``We're very concerned that there may be additional victims. People who are using forums like Craiglist to buy or sell need to be really careful.
Most concerns about meeting strangers online have centered on the potential for sexual abuse, particularly when minors are involved. One fear about the case, that of potential copycats duplicating the criminal, should compel people to act more cautiously when meeting someone in real life that they met on any social networking site.
A list of five ways to stay safe posted at job search site Monster.com recommends safety in numbers, and meeting people in public places rather than going alone to more private places.
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Tag: Craigslist
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About the Author:
David Utter is a business and technology writer for SecurityProNews and WebProNews.
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