Craigslist scams are as old as Craigslist. Some try to get sellers to cash a bogus check.  Some try to get money electronically transferred to the scammer. Craigslist publishes information to help folks avoid these scams, but the newest one isn’t covered under their “Avoiding Scams” page.

Here’s how it works: You post something for sale on Craigslist. Moments later, you receive a text message from someone claiming to be interested in your item. In order to verify that you are “real,” they want to send you a verification code that you must share with them. Then, you get a separate text from your email provider (in Jim’s case, Gmail). The text contains a code that the scammer is hoping you will share with them. DON’T SHARE THE CODE!! It enables the scammer to reset your email password and take over your account.

Gaining control of a person’s email account could give scammers access to personal information, financial data, or other details you don’t intend to share. DON’T SHARE THE CODE!