Warning: That 'community board' near the library is a scam magnet

I keep seeing the same thing on the board at the local coffee shop on Oak Street. People are posting flyers for 'free kittens' and 'yard sales' that are just phishing attempts. There was one last week with a phone number that led to some auto-dialer scam. I called it out of curiosity and got a recorded message asking for my Social Security number. Another one claimed to be a 'lost dog' but the photo was stock art. The board itself is fine, but nobody checks these things before slapping them up. My gym has a corkboard too and I've seen three obvious fake 'handyman' ads this month alone. How do you guys tell the real help-wanted posts from the sketchy ones?

2 comments

2 Comments

umamoore1mo ago

Nah, I've actually found great stuff on those boards, the 'free kittens' one I called was legit.

evanpalmer1mo ago

The last time I tried a "free kittens" ad I ended up driving 45 minutes to some guy's shed and it was just a possum in a box. He was real insistent it was a cat though, kept saying it was just a "special breed." You gotta vet these things, ask for a video call first or at least a photo with a landmark in it so you know it's not a stock picture. If they get weird about showing you the actual animal or item upfront, just move on to the next one.