Craigslist Dating – Watch Out for Spam
Ah, Craigslist. That online Mecca of all things bartered and traded – tickets, bikes, furniture, jobs, apartment leases. And don’t forget dates.
Unlike traditional online dating sites like match.com or eHarmony, where you pimp yourself out through a descriptive profile, craigslist personals tend to be focused more on experiences. Who wants to grab coffee this morning? Who wants to go on a hike? Who wants a lunch date to see if we’re compatible? And don’t forget the ever popular, Who wants booty?
Craigslist is a fantastic tool for impromptu meet-ups with random strangers. And there are a lot of nice, normal people using the site. But watch out for assholes and spammers.
Of course, any online dating site will have people who lie about their age or send a fuzzy picture, painting a rosier picture of themselves to get you to meet. But the ones who engage you in conversation, only to never meet, can also be a problem.
For instance – you’re a guy who starts chatting with a woman you met through a craigslist personal. You trade flirtatious barbs on Yahoo IM, and engage in an information exchange:
What do you look like?
What kind of work do you do?
Which city do you live in?
Do you have kids?
You might think she really likes you and wants to get to know who you are. But is she really a woman? She might be a spammer, filling out a demographic profile about you, collecting information to finely tune a targeted spam email marketing campaign.
How can you avoid situations like that? Here are some basic craigs list online safety tips:
- Use an email address you don’t care about and don’t use for anything else. Something you can quickly abandon if you start getting tons of spam
- Don’t be too quick to trust. Even if they send a photo, it might not be of them
- Don’t give out too much information through email or instant messaging. A webcam exchange can help verify the person is who they say.
- Talk on the phone before meeting. I know, giving your number out can set you up for stalkers and creeps. I personally have never had a problem giving my cell number out this way, but I’m a guy. Not sure what it’s like for women.
- If you choose to meet, meet in a public place
I’ve done a lot on craigslist – sold furniture, bought Raiders tickets, met women for spontaneous dates. But I also get my share of email spam, some of it finely targeted. And I can thank my craigslist email and instant messaging exchanges for that.
Be safe. Have fun. And don’t forget to flirt in real life.
- Online Dating – Sadly, I’m a Bit of an Expert
- Confessions of a Serial Online Dater, part 1 (Craigslist coffee date gone bad)
- A Sexy Flirty Dirty Text Message
- Craigslist Dating for Women
- Online Dating Sucks
- Hookers with Tattoos on Craigslist Personals
- Online Dating Profile Photo – Your Friend is Cuter
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Comment by Lance
| September 9th, 2008
I tried a bit of CL dating and had varied (and funny) results. I went on one very good date with a 24-year-old former teen model. She was hot and I would have dated her more but I was moving out of town around then. Beyond that, I’ve gotten plenty of spam and a fair amount of gay sex offers…my fav are the offers for free handjobs. I’ve even had guys send me pics of their junk. It’s like the wild west of dating.
Comment by The Exception
| September 9th, 2008
If nothing else, the things people write can be quite amusing. You can always tell if there is a lot of one handed typing going on!
The Exception’s last blog post..A man in a Uniform
Comment by Kat Wilder
| September 9th, 2008
I have done wonderful buying and selling on CL, had a bizarre date from (which I wrote about in your First Date Horror Stories Contest), had wonderful fantasies from Missed Connections, and have discovered “interesting” events (Cuddle Parties and the like). But I (and a few hundred people) got ripped off when I tried to rent a vacation home.
That said, my friend is marking two-plus years with a man she met on CL, and I know a few wonderful men who have used CL for dating. As always, buyer beware and think!
Kat Wilder’s last blog post..Funny girl?
Comment by T
| September 9th, 2008
Wow. I’ve never used Craigslist for anything more than purchasing items for my home. What the hell?
It sounds like it would make for interesting reading. I like The Exception’s comment about one handed typing. That’s hilarious!
And I get plenty of spam now so um… no thanks! But great advice should I decide to go there.
Thanks Dad! ;)
T’s last blog post..My Friend, My Love, My Soldier (part 6)
Comment by debra
| September 9th, 2008
I’ve met two really great guys on craigslist, one was the first man I dated after my divorce, and we saw each other for about 6 months. The second has since turned out to be more of a friend than dating, but a good guy none the less. That said, I was VERY lucky. For each of these guys, I’d be willing to bet there are hundreds of scams, creeps, married guys who will lie and all sorts of other nefarious characters! But, boy, reading the listings is a riot!
Comment by Eathan
| September 9th, 2008
I’ve never used CL for dating. I always thought it was hookers on there.. I think I’ll just listen to Lance’s story and stay clear..lol
Comment by Kitkat4real (SOLO dot MOM)
| September 9th, 2008
Ok… Did I miss something? Have you yet shared with us about this most amazing love of your life, the woman of your dreams?
I’m still waiting…. ;)
Kitkat4real (SOLO dot MOM)’s last blog post..Disheartened for Depot Dad
Comment by dadshouse
| September 9th, 2008
Kitkat – unfortunately, the woman of my dreams fizzled big time! I had two follow up posts (the titles of those posts weren’t obvious):
and the orginal post:
Woman of My Dreams, Manifested
Comment by lisaq
| September 10th, 2008
I wondered where this post went yesterday. :)
I bought a couch for my girls on CL but have never used it for dating. Might be something I should check it out…
lisaq’s last blog post..Long Distance Relationships
Comment by dadshouse
| September 10th, 2008
Lisaq – you’ve never used your couch for dating? You need to watch Body Heat or 9 1/2 Weeks again!
Or did you mean you’ve never used CL for dating…
(smile)
Comment by pajama momma
| September 10th, 2008
You’re only getting spammed because you’re a Raiders fan
Comment by dadshouse
| September 10th, 2008
Oh, that’s a low blow, especially after the Raiders got their butts kicked on Monday night.
How did your Chargers do this past weekend? Oh, sorry. They LOST! Haha
Comment by pajama momma
| September 11th, 2008
*cough