Craigslist a Pawn in Most Evil Prank Ever

Fri Apr 6, 2007 12:28PM EDT

See Comments (23)

I've wondered how long it was going to take for something like this to happen. In fact, I'm shocked it doesn't happen much more often. Here's the rub: Basically, someone posted an ad on Craigslist that the entire contents of a Tacoma area house were free for the taking. If you've ever posted something for "free" on Craigslist, you know what happened next: The community responded in droves, making quick work of the home and stripping it bare. They took the hot water heater. The baseboards. The kitchen sink.

You can probably guess the punchline: The ad was posted by someone peeved with the actual owner of the home, who was away. In this case, suspicion has fallen on the homeowner's sister, who was evicted from the house previously and was squabbling with her sibling. The video on the linked site will be shocking to anyone who owns a house. Can you imagine coming home to such a nightmare?

Craigslist ranks alongside eBay as possibly the most notorious haven for scam artists on the Internet. And while I think it's fair to blame eBay for not looking after its customers, Craigslist is another story. The key issue: eBay is a paid service that earns a commission on every sale (bogus or not), while Craigslist is free (except for a few limited exceptions). That's the whole idea of Craigslist: It's a free bulletin board system and anyone can post anything they'd like. The community polices posts that look suspicious, and the story linked above notes that this ad was indeed flagged and deleted after some time.

What can Craigslist do to protect users? Not much, I think. Craigslist may be universal and easy, but there's nothing to stop someone from doing the same thing in a newspaper classified ad or by simply posting a sign in the yard. The vengeful are not easily stopped.

As usual, awareness of the situation is your best ally here. Having a trusted friend that can keep an eye on things for you when you're away is pretty key. Of course, common sense doesn't hurt: If you evict your sister from your house, change the locks the same day.

But hey, if you have Laurie Raye's baseboards, please return them, OK?

LINK: Family fued may have sparked cruel Craigslist hoax

Comments on Craigslist a Pawn in Most Evil Prank Ever

Post a Comment

Join in the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.

  • 6 Posted by gg529@rogers.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    How could any sibling be so mean. She (if it was her sister) should be accountable to get everything back herself and install it by herself then made to do all the cleaning and repairs as means as time served.

  • 7 Posted by oreos.family@rogers.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    What I'd like to know is where were the neighbours? Doesn't anyboody watch out for the other people who live around them anymore? If I saw people removing everything from one of the houses where I live you can be darn sure I would be over there asking some questions.

  • 8 Posted by animal.house@rogers.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    oh my god you must of been going crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • 9 Posted by turbinator@rogers.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    I totally agree. Humanity just doesn't give a darn about each other anymore. I hope that these people get everything back so I'm proven wrong.

  • 10 Posted by yarnwench on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    IF the sister is to blame then she should be incarcerated. It is always best to have the locks changed when the rental is vacated by the renters. We live in an area that has a neighborhood watch (which includes watching houses while people are away). This neighborhood watch has saved all of us in one way or another. I do hope the owners had good insurance. Whoever did this, it is a crime and should be paid for one way or another.

  • 11 Posted by aiti77@rogers.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    I agree with the comment of the oreo.family!!! Where were the neighbours? This would never happen in our neck of the woods because we all talk to each other. But I guess it is not possible in all neighbourhoods these days. Everyone is out for themselves and the h--e-- double hockeysticks with everybody else! Sister or not, this person should be charged! I my mind it is about the same as if she would have stolen everything herself! Wherher it could be looked at as a conspiracy by the law is another thing.

  • 12 Posted by khollingsworth@rogers.com on Sat Apr 7, 2007 4:41PM EDT Report Abuse

    How Horrible,I couldn't imagine coming home to a barren house,I would probably be in shock!! Hopefully the insurance companies will do their part,i'd definetly classify that as plain and simple theft

  • 13 Posted by federalstar@rogers.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    I am sorry about what happened to the homeowner. Hopefully the people who ransacked her home will return the items. The culprit who started this whole mess (if indeed it was the sister) should be ashamed of herself. Unfortunatley i am not sure if this kind of prank can be classified as criminally liable, and/or if the person can be help civilly responsible. How did these people get into the home. Did someone let them in? If someone was there to grant them access they should be charged with theft, trespassing, mischief, etc.

  • 14 Posted by teresagranieri@rogers.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    So let me get this straight. The sister posted on Craiglist, knowing her sister was away. Was the door locked? Did she have a key? Is this not breaking in and entering? Theft? She maliciously and knowingly set out with clear intent to cause damage and emotion pain. She perpetrated a crime. Wouldn't the people who entered the home, even if they didn't know they were stealing, are accessary to the crime? I don't think they will return the items because of fear of being prosecuted. If the sister who got kicked out thought her life was bad, it just got worse.

  • 15 Posted by sarahmackenzie@rogers.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    Wow, I guess that relationship is now beyond repairable. I'd be suing for the cost of replacing everything, but if her sister didn't have the money to live on her own, she more than likely doesn't have the money to replace everthing. What a total nightmare ----- !

  • 16 Posted by johlamourie@rogers.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    I can't believe that it's not being treated as a crime, and no charges will laid. How can that be? Everything was stolen??? Sounds like a crime to me... as for the sister who, possibly, did this she sounds like pure vindictive evil. I guess all that poor homeowner can do is put her faith in Karma, because there certainly isn't any justice for her.

  • 17 Posted by stonerosedesigndotcom on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    "The key issue: eBay is a paid service" NO...IT'S THAT EBAY REQUIRES A CREDIT CARD TO REGISTER! IMAGINE I FSOMEONE POSTED ON EBAY A SET OF LAWN FURNITURE FOR SALE WHEN THE OWNERS WERE AWAY! SOMEONE CAN DO THAT ON EBAY OR CL ...THE DIFFERENCE IS THERE'S NO FINANCIAL RISK ON CL BECAUSE A CREDIT CARD WASN'T NEEDED TO REGISTER.

  • 18 Posted by kbertelsen1215 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    A)These people need to move if the neighbors saw random people going in & out of the house with things B)IF the sister is to blame, she definately needs to go to jail, anyway you look at it, this was a crime C)Anyone that was in this house and actually believed that someone would let you do this should go to jail too for being STUPID...c'mon people..honestly. D)If you knew this story to be too good to be true & you went into this house anyway, you belong in jail. This is theft no matter how you look at it. Jeez..what the heck is wrong with you!!!

  • 19 Posted by guardianfireadj on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    That story is hilarious!!!!LOL, especially because it didn't happen to me.

  • 20 Posted by sjaydlotte on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:25PM EDT Report Abuse

    Call the cops. Press charges. Don't offer bail, bond, or to drop the charges or forgive and forget. Forgive them in a wonderful, leisurely, charitable way while they rot in jail with equally slimy inmates. That person would be dead to me.Don't think about it too much; just do it. Phooey.

  • 21 Posted by justdirt1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:44PM EDT Report Abuse

    I want to say that the sister was accused not proven to be the instigator and you need to realize that she may not have done this terrible thing. But how did they get inside the house - door was unlocked!? Also neighbors watched the stuff going away. Bad neighbors

  • 22 Posted by jd_1876 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    I just can't believe how someone can do this, if i were a neighbor i would be calling cops. i am really shocked after seeing the vid. sister or not, whoever did this should be terribly ashamed and also prosecuted. also guardianfireadj, this is NOT funny, that was actually her HOME, and she returns only to see this terrible mess.

  • 23 Posted by fyi_geek on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    I had a similar event happen with my ex girlfriend a year back, she got mad at me cause i would not spend our rent money on a new dress to impress her friends posted an add for my charger (car) i was restoring on craigslist and it got stolen... End the end they tracked the car down (cost me $1,168) towing fees to get it back. It was all the way in florida, and police found out the add posted came from her parents home pc. (She still blames me) i should have had her arrested.

More Posts: First Prev 1 2 Next Last

Post a Comment

Sign In to Post a Comment

My Tech

Please enable your browser's cookies to activate the My Tech column.

Also on Yahoo! Tech

Computers Home Office Wi-Fi & Networking Phones & PDAs Cameras & Camcorders TV & Home Theater Portable Audio
 

Site Map | Tour | Subscribe to Yahoo! Tech

Question and Answer content at Yahoo! Tech is written by Yahoo! users at Yahoo! Answers. Yahoo! does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any Yahoo! Answers content. For more information, read the Full Disclaimer.

Opinions expressed by the Advisors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo! receives no compensation from any manufacturer or distributor nor does it compensate any Advisor for the coverage of any product or service in any Advisor's content.