You're Next! (Craigslist Related)

The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
edited March 2008 in Strut Central
Holy shit, this sucks major league donkey ballz Police offer amnesty to people who stole from Craigslist hoax victim12:17 PM PDT on Tuesday, March 25, 2008By AP and kgw.com Staff JACKSONVILLE, Ore. -- Police say belongings removed from a Southern Oregon man's property have begun slowly reappearing at his home, a day after a pair of hoax ads on Craigslist cost Robert Salisbury much of what he owned. And police said people who return the items voluntarily will not be prosecuted. The ads popped up Saturday afternoon, saying the owner of a Jacksonville home was forced to leave the area suddenly and his belongings, including a horse, were free for the taking, said Jackson County Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Colin Fagan. But the ads were a hoax. Robert Salisbury had no plans to leave. The independent contractor was at Emigrant Lake when he got a call from a woman who had stopped by his house to claim his horse. On his way home he stopped a truck loaded down with his work ladders, lawn mower and weed eater. "I informed them I was the owner, but they refused to give the stuff back," Salisbury said. "They showed me the Craigslist printout and told me they had the right to do what they did." The driver sped away after rebuking Salisbury. On his way home he spotted other cars filled with his belongings. Once home he was greeted by close to 30 people rummaging through his barn and front porch. The trespassers, armed with printouts of the ad, tried to brush him off. "They honestly thought that because it appeared on the Internet it was true," Salisbury said. "It boggles the mind." Jacksonville police and Jackson County sheriff's deputies arrived but by then several cars packed with Salisbury's property had fled. He turned some license plate numbers over to police. By late Monday, s ome people who learned of the hoax began to return items taken from the home. Authorities weren't able to say how much or what had been returned, but did say that by late Monday afternoon, items were "starting to piling up" in Salisbury's driveway. Michelle Easley had seen the ad that claimed Salisbury's horse had been declared abandoned by the sheriff's department and was free to a good home. "I can't stand to see a horse suffer so I drove out there and got her," Easley said. "The horse didn't look abandoned. She is in good shape for being 32 years old." But it looked odd, so she left a note on Salisbury's door explaining the ad. She then decided to call to make sure the ad was legitimate when the second similar ad appeared. "I feel bad because I was a part of it," Easley said. "It felt right to call the police." Fagan praised Easley's honestly but said prosecution was likely for anybody caught with Salisbury's property. Officers were still contacting people who were seen leaving Salisbury's house with his stuff. If they return the taken items, no charges will be filed. But people who don???t return what they took may face charges. Items can be returned with no questions asked, Fagan said. Detectives have contacted Craigslist's legal team to try to trace the ad. Meanwhile, Salisbury could not even relax on his porch swing -- someone took it.

  Comments


  • Controller_7Controller_7 4,052 Posts
    yeah, that's weak. I can't even imagine how rattled I'd be.

  • djdazedjdaze 3,099 Posts
    saw the news report on this earlier. one of the many reasons I own a gun.

  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    saw the news report on this earlier. one of the many reasons I own a gun.

    Because you might be the victim of a Craigslist ad hoax?



    Seriously though, this can't be the first time someone has tried/pulled this off. I imagine there's many an upset ex out there who's done this. Or at least now...is thinking of it.

  • Controller_7Controller_7 4,052 Posts
    saw the news report on this earlier. one of the many reasons I own a gun.

    what good would it do you, someone would have just taken it in the pillage. Unless you roll strapped or keep it on the floor board of your Chevy.

  • djdazedjdaze 3,099 Posts
    saw the news report on this earlier. one of the many reasons I own a gun.

    what good would it do you, someone would have just taken it in the pillage. Unless you roll strapped or keep it on the floor board of your Chevy Caddy.



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  • mordecaimordecai 2,204 Posts
    I posted a buddy's phone number on casual encounters once.
    good for you. i wish you and i were buddies

  • The trespassers, armed with printouts of the ad, tried to brush him off....... "They honestly thought that because it appeared on the Internet it was true," Salisbury said.

    HA-HA-HA, this reminds me of another thread...

  • The-gafflerThe-gaffler 2,190 Posts
    saw the news report on this earlier. one of the many reasons I own a gun.


    ...unless this was one of the belongings they took from your home. GIVE EM THE STICK!

  • ariel_calmerariel_calmer 3,762 Posts
    The trespassers, armed with printouts of the ad, tried to brush him off....... "They honestly thought that because it appeared on the Internet it was true," Salisbury said.

    HA-HA-HA, this reminds me of another thread...

    Popsike related?

  • hammertimehammertime 2,389 Posts
    what's K in Canada's address?

  • bobbydeebobbydee 849 Posts

    Seriously though, this can't be the first time someone has tried/pulled this off. I imagine there's many an upset ex out there who's done this. Or at least now...is thinking of it.

    In my senior year a friend and I hacked a teachers email account, erm "borrowed" his car keys and took photos/info to place his MGB on ebay & in the trading post for a ridiculously low price. He enjoyed weeks of emails/phonecalls.

    The talking to from the police was well worth it, he was a power tripping dick. Plus we were kinda heroes to the grade, even though we were two of the biggest outcasts at school.

  • luckluck 4,077 Posts
    what's K in Canada's address?

    Zing!
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