How to avoid getting scam email in Craigslist?

There are scam busting sites with online lists of the names scammers use, their email addresses, stock copy/paste emails, paid-for-in-cash cell phone numbers, stolen pictures and fake websites they use. You could start your search at one of those sites.

If you have responded to a scammer, you are on his 'potential sucker' list, he will try again to separate you from your cash. He will send you more emails from his other free email addresses using another of his fake names with all kinds of stories of great jobs, lottery winnings, millions in the bank and desperate, lonely, sexy singles. He will sell your email address to all his scamming buddies who will also send you dozens of fake emails all with the exact same goal, you sending them your cash via Western Union or moneygram.

Do you know how to check the header of a received email? If not, you could google for information. Being able to read the header to determine the geographic location an email originated from will help you weed out the most obvious scams and scammers. Then delete and block that scammer. Don't bother to tell him that you know he is a scammer, it isn't worth your effort. He has one job in life, convincing victims to send him their hard-earned cash.

Whenever suspicious or just plain curious, google everything, website addresses, names used, companies mentioned, phone numbers given, all email addresses, even partial sentences from the emails as you might be unpleasantly surprised at what you find already posted online. You can also post/ask here and every scam-warner-anti-fraud-busting site you can find before taking a chance and losing money to a scammer.

Well only let the people pay with irreversible funds.

PayPal- Everyone will chargeback dont even touch it

There is something called

Liberty Reserve- You can add a creditcard and the funds are irreversible

Bank transfer- Risk"ier" but irreversible

I would say mainly make it a pick up item. So only people in real life can buy it. Also, only accept cash in real life. You dont want something going on with the checks and whatnot. I get plenty of scammers on eBay, and I always check the payment info and the houses to make sure they match.

If someone seems trusted, hold the funds for one week, and make them write a note that says

"I have received my item, I will not chargeback." on whatever payment processor they are using. They will surely not win any disputes. But holding time is your friend!

Also, the people trying to fraud you, ask em for their address, see what you get. Maybe report their account, and all the details they gave to to the police. They may give you a fake address, but if they are using their real IP, they will surely be caught.

Money fraud is taken more serious on the internet than real life!

Check all addresses before you send them, and make sure it matched the payment info.

Go on something like Zillo to make sure they arent scamming you.

Good luck!