• With girlfriend's arrival, man tells police Craigslist date is burglar

    Craigslist

    Screen shot of the Colorado Springs Craigslist page, including the Personals section where Gaylor may have found his unfortunate encounter

    By Athima Chansanchai

    Unwilling to admit to his girlfriend that he had a date with a woman arranged via Craigslist, a Colorado Springs man instead told police she was a burglar.

    Keith Gaylor, 24, threw the date under a bus fast when his live-in lady love unexpectedly arrived at their home early, forcing the other woman outside. (Looks like there was a plan for the woman to spend the night, perhaps?) When she knocked on the door at 3 a.m., Gaylor called 911 to report an attempted burglary in progress — and told police that not only was the would-be prowler trying to break down the door, they also had a gun.

    When the five police officers arrived, they found out all was not as it had been reported.

    After detaining the alleged burglar, they soon released her after she told them Gaylor had met her online through Craigslist and set up the evening meet-up. Police then gave a summons for false reporting to authorities.

    If you're going to make plans to meet up with a random, might be a good idea to do so outside of the house (especially when you live with someone, but then that might beg the question of why you're trolling on Craigslist), and if you do get caught, just man (or woman) up!

    As we've seen in the past, using Craigslist for no good often doesn't end well, with the jealous wife pranking that led to a potentially dangerous situation of sending strangers to her husband's ex-wife's house; the guy who ends up at the wrong house looking for easy stranger sex; and all the crimes associated with the online classified service. 

    — via The Gazette

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  • Earth moves, love happens

    Screenshot of Philly love (missed) connection

    By Athima Chansanchai

    In the city of brotherly love yesterday, while others tweeted their earthquake drama, one person found true love. Via Craigslist, Disaster Cupid also shot arrows in other cities affected by the 5.8 shaker.

    But let's go to that first instance, shall we? We can see it unfolding like a scene in a movie: in the background, the familiar strains of Carole King's "I feel the Earth move" begin softly as a 25-year-old man stands at the corner of 15th and Walnut. As the quake suddenly rocks this part of the world, the song reaches a crescendo in its chorus, "I feel the earth move under my feet, I feel the sky tumbling down, tumbling down," as he locks eyes with a blonde in a blue shirt and jeans. 

    And just like that, fate has thrown true love up for grabs.

    The man struck by Cupid's arrow rushed onto the "Missed Connections" section of Craigslist (note the time stamp: 2:31 p.m., only a half hour after the lovebug hit him) to try to find his destiny and wrote, "You know those moments where you believe it's true love, I think this is it because it felt like the earth was moving."

    We don't know whether to wish him luck or tell him to shake it off. If you were the blonde, would you take this as a sign?

    (Thanks, Buzzfeed, for spotting this and spurring more curiosity to find more examples.)

    He wasn't the only one using the earthquake as a pickup opportunity. Others took to their local Craigslist to try to find the one that got away.

    Under the heading, "Our Eyes Met During the Earthquake - m4w - 29 (Old City, Philadelphia)" this lovestruck fella had this to say:

    It was magic, really.

    I'd just run out of my office in Old City and stood waiting with my coworkers, a few of whom were smoking, playing on their phones, etc... when I saw you, calm and collected, exiting your building.

    For a moment you were looking straight at me, your bright eyes lit up and wide open. You were either wide eyed with terror due to the rumbling of the Earth beneath your feet, or you had just locked eyes with me. I choose to believe it was the second bit. 

    If that was the case, drop me a line. I'd write a dirty give-you-aftershocks line here, but I'm way too classy for that. 

    Unlike our other guy, this one waited until after 9 p.m. to try his luck on "Missed Connections."

    Richmond didn't yield any thunderbolts of love during yesterday afternoon's quake, but in the Big Apple, there was definitely something something going on.

    "Earthquakes & Empanadas - m4w - 26 (SoHo)" had this to say shortly after 3 p.m.: "Me - black shirt, nervous energy, twisting a copy of daily Variety in my hands. You - Sparkling eyes and beautiful smile. Excellent fashion sense.  Girls never make me nervous...but you did. I couldn't even properly flirt with you. Maybe I was shaken up by the earthquake after all..."

    In DC, the earth moving inspired this note from "Metro blue line post-earthquake - m4w - 31 (~L'Enfant Plz. to Pentagon City)": "We were two of the sardines on a blue line train rolling through DC and NoVA circa 4 PM. You had red hair, freckles, and were wearing a gray t-shirt (and I believe an engagement/wedding ring...not that that's a deterrent). We made some severe eye contact on many occasions before you got off at Pentagon City. Would love to see your face again!"

    Good to know the engagement/wedding ring is not a deterrent, by the way. (Sheesh.)

    In Vienna, Va., a building evacuation could also spell romance:

    "It's too bad that it took an Earthquake and our building to be evacuated for me to see you for the first time. Our building number is 8614 and my company takes up most of the building. I was very busy when I noticed you so it made it that much harder for me to try to talk to you. If you happen to seethis, let me know what I was wearing that was kind of unique."

    Let us know if you find out what he was wearing.

    But let's end on this note from "You, Red Dress, Screaming - m4w - 33 (14th & K)" because it made my morning:

    You were outside your office screaming that Jesus was coming and Armageddon was upon us. It seems the earthquake had really shaken you emotionally and all I wanted to do was console you. Well, that and have dirty hard core sex. Your screaming really turned me on so I hope you read this and get in touch. Safe word: Penguins 

    Me: 6'1, blonde, blue eyes and leather Ricky Martin pants. 

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  • Are London looters unloading on Craigslist?

    Craigslist

    By Helen A.S. Popkin

    If you're looking for an outlet to serve your bulk iPhone shopping needs, London's Craigslist can't help you just this minute. The case of 40 16GB iPhone 4's that popped up on the embattled city's section of the Internet's classified yesterday — following the third night of riots — has been "flagged for removal" and is no longer on the site.

    When the ad was still available, this is how it read:

    40 Apple iPhone 4′s 16GB – £320 (east)

    All these iphones are brand new and sealed. They have not been open from box all are on 02 and come with a years warranty. I can sort out a discount if more than 3 are purchased.

    Suspicious, much?

    Gawker's Adrian Chen queried the seller while the ad was still available, asking about the origin of the 40 iPhones, "Were those looted or legally purchased?"

    The seller's response: "Mate I just come back from holiday I bought them all from america." (sic)

    With the growing online rogues' galleries of London looters in action — hauling off armfuls of electronics, stacks of clothing still on the hanger and even Brady Bunch-sized bags of Basmati rice — it's not surprising someone will try to turn an extra profit on their criminal activity.

    Online auction site eBay says it's on board with UK police, issuing this statement:

    Our thoughts are with the businesses and communities affected by recent events in London and around the UK. eBay will cooperate fully with the investigating authorities to identify and remove any listings which are linked to criminal activity.

    UK classifieds site Gumtree, which is owned by eBay, says it will do the same. "We work closely with the police and will do everything we can to help them bring any criminals using our site in this way to justice," a Gumtree spokeswoman said in a media statement. She added that users who spot a suspicious ad take advantage of the "report" button that appears with every page, and the site administrators would investigate.

    (We have reached out to Craigslist and will update this post when we hear back.)

    While the case of iPhone 4s are gone and according to the seller, not stolen, there's no telling when a pallet of white iPad 2s might show up on online (with prices so low, you'll think they're INSANE).

    via The Next Web

    More on the London riots:

    Helen A.S. Popkin goes blah blah blah about the Internet. Tell her to get a real job on Twitter and/or Facebook. Also, Google+.

  • Mom: Ex-husband's wife needs jail-time for Craigslist sex-ad prank

    Manatee County Sheriff's Office

    Natasha Larson, Don Larson's current wife accused of placing a fictitious ad on Craigslist that sent strangers to Tracy Wilder's house

    By Athima Chansanchai

    Last week we told you about Natasha Larson, the woman arrested for impersonating her husband's ex-wife on Craigslist and sending strange men to her house — where her husband's two younger daughters reside — responding to the sex ads Larson placed. Now the ex-wife is speaking out, and says that Larson needs to suffer the consequences for endangering the children.

    "I would like for her to spend some time in jail. I don't believe she is fit to take care of anybody's children. She can endanger her stepchildren as well as other people's children," said the ex-wife, Tracy Wilder, who will be in court tomorrow trying to get a permanent restraining order against Natasha Larson.

    Wilder, ex-wife to Don Larson, whose current wife has gone the extra mile in repeated "sabotage" to keep him away from anyone who's not her, spoke to TODAY about this latest, over-the-top stunt.

    We won't spoil the video (below) for you, but Wilder, based in Bradenton, Fla., did reveal some illuminating information:

    First, there is no love triangle, as Wilder and Larson separated in 2004, divorce finalized in 2008, with the new Mrs. Larson getting together with him long after Wilder was out of the relationship. "But with the history she's displayed, the behavior she's displayed since they got together. My best guess is that's she's trying to keep Don and his children out of their lives.  She doesn't want our children in their lives."

    Natasha Larson seems to have a history of being overly possessive of her husband, who had not seen his three children with Wilder for 19 months before December. (They have a 21-year-old son who does not live with Wilder.)

    Wilder says Natasha Larson has even gone ballistic on Don Larson's mother — her mother-in-law — for trying to maintain a relationship with her grandchildren.

    But with the Craigslist ad, Wilder knew things had escalated to a point that police had to be brought in.

    She said that leading up to the stranger phone calls, text messages and visits, she had received numerous "vile" texts from Natasha Larson, who also seems to have impersonated her husband Don in placing messages from his phone to Wilder.

    Wilder told TODAY that it all culminated in the Craigslist "prank."

    But anyway …  when the Craigslist thing happened, I was asking him how he got my information, my name and number. We had hung up and I had figured out already what was going on and he hung up and said, "Oh, you should probably know that she also gave me your home address." And I was floored. I couldn't believe it. So that point it solidified who it was for me. It all made sense ...

    I knew it was her. I have no clue why she wants to do this to me. We have had verbal arguments when she has either provoked me or gotten in the middle of me and Don with the kids. She has made verbal attacks on my kids calling them horrible names. So we have argued. But nothing recently. It was all in the past. And I don't what mother wouldn't stand up for their kids if someone is calling them names.

    Then Wilder reveals details about how one of the strange men showed up at her door, telling her he was there for a date, and that Wilder's boyfriend "was in on it." 

    Don Larson claims he wasn't in on his wife's actions, but Wilder says she's not sure what to believe. 

    What do you believe?

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  • Woman solicits sex on Craigslist ... as husband's ex

    Manatee County Sheriff's Office

    Natasha Larson's mug shot

    By Athima Chansanchai

    The latest in Craigslist hijinks: Woman places an ad soliciting sex on Craigslist, only she gives her husband's ex-wife's address and phone number as the recipient.

    The Herald-Tribune reported on the arrest of Natasha Larson, 34, who was placed in custody by Bradenton Police on "a felony charge of fraudulent use of personal identification and information." Larson runs a day care service out of her Sarasota, Fla. home.

    In the ad, which was placed in mid-February, Larson published her husband's ex-wife's home address and also emailed respondents her cellphone number. That led to unannounced visits from men the victim didn't know, as well as phone calls and "pornographic" text messages. This was the ad:

    "I am currently dating a descent man but he is lacking some skills in the bedroom. Its nice but I need to be thrown around a little bit and to be dominated, that is exciting for me. I also like to take charge sometimes but I need a strong man to keep me in check ... Please be respectful if you do stop by."

    Because all the nuts roll down to Florida (hey, I grew up there), we can't say we're that surprised. But there are aspects to this that still make us shake our heads, even if the word "respectful" was placed in there. We realize jealousy can make people do crazy things, making adults revert back to high school drama, but what is it with the Craigslist pranking that is so appealing? Do the placers of such ads realize they're sending strangers to a person's house? A person who may have kids at home?

    In this case, the victim, Tracy Wilder, had two children at home — two young girls, ages 11 and 13.

    Fox 13 News reported that so many men showed up at the victim's home that "she put a sign on the door saying go away."

    Larson was busted when one of the men answering the ad turned out to be not such a creep and provided Wilder with information that led to the big reveal of Larson's not-so-funny prank. He said he responded to the ad and in the email he received, he was given the victim's name, address and cellphone number. He provided Wilder with copies of the email and the Craigslist posting, which in turn she brought to the police.

    Google and Verizon cooperated with authorities to trace back the ad to Larson, reported the Herald-Tribune. Larson confessed to all of it. She's out on bond now, but may face additional charges, including aggravated stalking.

    Court records show that Wilder has filed for "temporary injunctions for protection against repeat violence" against Larson three times since February, including just before Larson's June 23 arrest.

    As for Wilder, she's not laughing at Larson's supposed "joke." She told the Herald-Tribune, "I’m pressing charges, but I would like to see her do a little bit of time. She is acting like it was a joke. To me putting someone’s life in danger, especially children, that’s not funny. That’s not a joke."

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  • Punked on Craigslist, man receives sexy texts and photos

    By Athima Chansanchai

    If for some reason you ever receive a deluge of sexy texts and photos and you didn't ask for it, you might want to check on Craigslist and see if you've been punked.

    A surburban Chicago man, 20, didn't know what was going on when his phone started blowing up with provocative messages (from men) and images of naked men on Monday morning. Could he have been the victim of an Anthony Weiner-like correspondence? 

    Coincidentally, this isn't south suburb Tinley Park's first brush with Craigslist sexy time. Two years ago, Tinley Park police orchestrated an undercover sting that nabbed two women who used the online classifieds as a means of prostitution. 

    In this instance, seems like this wasn't a case of having an ongoing liaison made public, but rather a juvenile attempt at retribution by a jealous rival dating an ex-girlfriend of the victim, or so the victim alleged. 

    Tinley Park Patch checked out the police report and fed the public these scant details, which had us craving more, but this was the clue that led to the supposed origin of the prank: "One mysterious caller said he was responding to the victim's Craigslist advertisement, but the victim said he didn't post an ad. He received a link to the posting and when he clicked on it, he realized that it included his cell phone number."

    Bam! Time to change your digits, dude.

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  • Craigslist grammar not so good-like

    By Suzanne Choney

    While Craigslist is avoided by many because it can be a scary website at times, it's still heavily used for dating hookups, apartment hunting, or efforts to sell just about any ol' thing, even Styrofoam peanuts for packing.

    But whether it's peanuts or personals, language and grammar gaffes in ads can make a difference in how successful they are, writes Matt Sledge of The Huffington Post:

    Sometimes the ads dip into the informal argot of the cellphone era: "If u r interested text me," or the abbreviated, punctuated style carried over from offline classified outlets of yore: "Ldry, elev."

    But spend a little too much time on Craigslist, and something else starts to stand out in a small but distinct percentage of ads: the grisly grammar, the careless capitalization.

    Panos Ipeirotis, an associate professor at NYU's Stern School of Business, Sledge writes, "made the fascinating finding that 'demand for a hotel increases if the reviews on TripAdvisor and Travelocity are well-written, without spelling errors; this holds no matter if the review is positive or negative,' and that he has " 'no doubt' the same finding would hold for apartments on Craigslist."

    While good grammar and good manners, or the other qualities that make a good roommate, are not necessarily correlated, Ipeirotis acknowledged, "people perceive it like that."

    And, some examples of Craigslist personals with problems:

    "Please be under 40, disease free and a personality," writes "Cute, smart guy looking for a friend or maybe more - 20 (Greenwich Village)."

    "Send face if interested" is another.

    "Please be naturally masculine, open minded, down to earth with a good sence of humor," is yet another. And so on.

    While the speed of modern life — and how quickly our fingers fly over our keyboards — is evident on Craigslist, it is particularly so in its "Missed Connections" area. Missed Connections is actually a sweet idea: if you saw someone you were drawn to in the grocery store, for example, but didn't have the nerve or time to speak up, you say so in Missed Connections.

    If you are that Missed Connection, it's up to you to reply, of course.

    Here are some grammar-impaired examples from recent postings. Grammar-impaired or not, they're still kind of endearing (assuming none of these folks are Anthony Weiner-wannabes or in similar circumstances; and there definitely are a good number of crass and coarse postings in that area of the site):

    • "I wish I could see time and distance in front of me. Then I would punch them both in the face so they'd go away and I'd be able to see you." (Chicago)
    • "When you got off the train you began to whistle, which I thought nice after a long hard day." (New York)
    • "Even in the muted light of the conference room, you seemed to radiate, and your eyes were glowing all day." (New Jersey)
    • "You were eating with your parents (I assume) and I was nearby eating with mine. We caught eyes once or twice and I really liked yours." (Omaha)
    • "I wanted to ask for your number but didn't want to jeopardize my job .... If this was you, and you want to grab a drink or something, then put what I do in the subject line. Have a good night!" (Los Angeles)
    • "You gave me your Facebook ... Scott was your last name? Let's connect. We briefly spoke at Starbucks in Sherman Oaks, around 8PM on Wednesday." (Los Angeles) 

    And sometimes, seekers just get right to the point: "To the early evening waitress: I applied for a job there today. Connection? Yes, no?" (Dallas)

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  • Craigslist cannibal's dinner plans spoiled by 'main course'

    By Athima Chansanchai

    Craigslist, no stranger to weird crime, is now the alleged hook-up ground for a very peculiar kind of fetish: cannibals and those who want to be consumed by them.

    One would-be meal, not so happy with the idea after all, set up his would-be eater, who was in turn gunned down by police. True story, folks. Happy Monday.

    In this "Criminal Minds" meets Hannibal Lecter installment of Digital Life, the Slovak Spectator, the AP and other outlets have reported that once the Swiss victim (so far unnamed in news accounts) realized that Slovakian father of two Matej Curko, 43, was serious about what he thought was just a fantasy (usually the sexually-charged kind), he turned the plan in to the police, who posed undercover to sting Curko. 

    But things did not go smoothly and a gunfight ensued May 10, resulting in a police officer and Curko, who legally possessed four guns and frequented a shooting club, being shot. Curko died May 12, despite the efforts of 10 surgeons during a five-hours-plus surgery. The Slovak Spectator — which does feature the reassuring disclaimer that it "cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings" — reported that at the crime scene, "police secured a number of knives, saws and a body bag," which added to the email evidence against Curko.

    It's not like this is the first time cannibals have gone online to find willing victims. Back in December 2002, German computer technician Armin Meiwes was arrested and charged with murder after it was revealed that he had found 43-year-old Bernd-Jurgen Brandes in 2001 through the Internet and had killed and eaten him.

    If that wasn't grisly enough, Meiwes captured it all on his camcorder, reported BBC News.

    He was later convicted of manslaughter, then murder, and sentenced to life in prison during a retrial in which "the prosecution made a graphic case that Meiwes was guilty of murder and argued he should never be released from prison."

    In this current case, Curko reportedly found his almost-victim through Craigslist (though only Gather states that site specifically), who indulged the fetish for awhile, until he was probably too creeped out by the idea of being a last supper, preceded by wining and dining (at least on Curko's part) and a stab through the heart in the woods. This victim was not so ready to surrender his life after all.

    While news accounts quote those who knew Curko describing him as "mild-natured" and "ordinary," Gather writes his demise as a good riddance:

    It's a good thing he is gone, because police discovered freshly dug graves (more than one) on his property in the Slovak region. They greatly suspect that he has done this before, and there may be more victims.

    Had he lived, Curko would probably have faced the same kind of societal taboo that doomed Meiwes to life behind bars: better to keep people-eaters away than to let them continue a compulsion they can't shut down, involving others who might agree to the deed.

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  • Police pound online pavement to solve crimes

    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    BABYLON, NY - APRIL 05: Police and police recruits search an area of beach near where police recently found human remains on April 5, 2011 in Babylon, New York. Working on the theory of a single serial killer may be working in the New York area, the police found three additional sets of human remains Monday, bringing the total number of bodies found in the area to eight.

    By Athima Chansanchai

    While crime shows still show a lot of gumshoe detective work in the pursuit of the most depraved lawbreakers, they've also incorporated resident computer geniuses who often prove pivotal to solving cases. Real life isn't far behind, with police now regularly going online to find clues.

    A recent New York Times story by Al Baker highlights several ways online research has helped the men and women in blue to bring criminals to justice, many of which will be familiar to fans of "Criminal Minds," "CSI" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit":

    • Checking out Craigslist to find out it was the common denominator among homicide victims in Long Island reported to be the work of a serial killer who found the women via their online ads. 
    • Using that information to obtain court orders, subpoenas or declaration of emergencies to compel Internet Service Providers to turn over emails, or IP addresses, that may lead authorities to the killer.
    • Cellphone numbers obtained through combing through the ads and emails could then lead police to cellphone companies' text and call records, as well as locations of those cellphones. (Tracking, in this case, could be very useful.)

    It's often a hot trail for detectives to follow, full of potential, but also full of red herrings, which the Times piece also points out: fake emails, disposable cellphones and hacked Wi-Fi.

    Cybersleuthing is not just for cops; we've written about plenty of amateurs who have tracked down their device thieves. But violent crime is another matter. In that jurisdiction, the police — not to mention federal agencies — have many more resources. 

    As for what information companies will willingly give up, the Times' Baker wrote this:

    Craigslist may disclose information about its users if the law requires. It may give data to law enforcement "in the good faith belief that such disclosure is reasonably necessary," its privacy policy says. Susan McTavish of Craigslist would not say how many requests for information Craigslist annually gets from law enforcement.

    While it's important police are able to access certain information to solve crimes, at what point does it clash with a person's right to privacy? Not to mention the paranoia that can induced from the constant surveillance from Big Brother. It's enough to make even the most reasonable person develop an inner conspiracy theorist. But if helps solve crimes, is it worth the price in civil liberties?

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  • Escort services flourish at Backpage.com

    seattle.backpage.com

    By Athima Chansanchai

    Because human nature wants what it wants, the closure of Craigslist's Adult Services section has meant a big boon for Village Voice Media-owned Backpage.com, which has thrived with an "Adult" section overflowing with ads about escorts (male, female and transsexual), body rubs, "adult jobs" and strippers.

    The New York Observer recently pored over the classifieds business, which seem to have given new life to the alt-weekly chain, in which racy ads are nothing new. (Full disclosure: I worked at the Village Voice for almost four years.)

    The Observer's Kat Stoeffel writes:

    Backpage, which is a fraction of the size of Craigslist, is the only popular classifieds site left willing to host the paid escort and body-rub ads that are often thinly veiled fronts for prostitution. In the month after Craigslist closed its erotic services sections under pressure from Congress and state attorneys general, Backpage enjoyed a half-million-visitor bump in traffic, according to Quantcast, and became the No. 1 publisher of escort ads on the Internet. The Aim Group, a media consulting firm, estimated that in January, Backpage brought in $2.1 million in revenue from erotic services ads alone.

    Backpage.com's top 20 cities cover most of America's metropolises, including Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. While it's nowhere near the scale of a Craigslist, with more than 400 cities, you're likely to find it in most states. States that don't have it: Alaska, Delaware, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota (only Fargo in North Dakota has it), Vermont and Wyoming.

    In December, Craigslist quietly shut down its Adult Services section in all 700 of its sites in 70 countries due to pressure from lawmakers who complained about the site's laissez-faire attitude toward prostitution and child trafficking. But even then, there were other sections on the site where sex shoppers could still find what they wanted.

    In the vacuum of easy places to indulge in paid sexual favors, Backpage flourished. But it hasn't taken long for trouble to follow, as the Observer story leads with a recent prostitution bust in Florida that nabbed 60 would-be Johns who had responded to ads placed in Backpage. Here in Seattle, police found a 17-year-old girl on the site forced to work as a prostitute, prompting an editorial urging the state's legal counsel to join other attorney generals in their campaign to make the site eliminate its adult services section, like they did with Craigslist.  

    It's not as though Backpage hides those ads. Pulling up the main page for any city, the adult section is on the right side, sandwiched between the personals and services.

    Once you've clicked into the adult section, it doesn't take much scanning to see that the world's oldest profession is in no danger of extinction anytime soon. But first, each visitor has to agree to a disclaimer that they're 18 or older and are aware they're about to expose themselves to "sexual content, including pictorial nudity and adult language."

    Numbers and provocative poses abound, as well as shout-outs for specials. In the "adult jobs" sub-sex-tion, ambiguity could be translated into business opportunities both legal and illegal: "Looking for sexy women in the Seattle area interested in earning money through a new agency. Must be 18 or older, hwp, be drama-free and have a great attitude. No experience necessary. Contact us for more details." While a quick scan looks like many are trolling for "models," there are some that are outright pay for pleasure: "Single Male seeking some Adualt [sic] Fun With Hot Female Pays Well."

    We'll see if the legal pressure works on Backpage the way it did with Craigslist, or if the profits from those ads come first.

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  • Man goes to wrong place seeking Craigslist sex

    By Athima Chansanchai

    In the tree-lined Chicago suburb of Elmhurst, Illinois, which boasts the motto, "Ideal for your Business, your Family, your Life," a not-very ideal thing happened Tuesday afternoon: a man responding to an ad on Craigslist for sex went to the wrong place and person, making comments that "alarmed and disturbed" the victim, who contacted local police.

    When I called the police station for more details, they wouldn't elaborate further, so let me tell you how I see it going down:

    Craigslist NSA (No Strings Attached) seeker: Knock, knock.

    Wrong addressee: Who's there? 

    Craigslist NSA seeker: Your Craigslist NSA sex hook-up! Let me in, baby!

    Wrong addressee: Say what? You have the wrong address, buddy. Scram!

    Now, who knows, maybe someone was pranking on Craigslist to see who'd actually follow through with a post for free sex (if you read this 2009 New York Times story, it happens more than you think) or someone was specifically pranking the victim to send lewd dudes to him/her, or the Craigslist responder simply got his address wrong (which is what Elmhurst police reported).

    All I know is that it gives a whole new twist to this bit of Elmhurst's tourist literature:

    "It’s a world like no other…a world to delight, entice and excite you.

    Elmhurst… the world next door."

    (via MySurburbanLife.com)

    More Craigslist stories:

    Check out Technolog on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Athima Chansanchai, who would also call the cops if someone came to her house looking for Craigslist sex.

  • Woman finds her stolen GPS on Craigslist

    Garmin

    A Garmin nuvi 750 GPS unit. We don't know Sarah's exact model, but this gives you an idea of what it's like.

    By Athima Chansanchai

    When a Michigan mother found out her Garmin nuvi GPS had been stolen out of her car, she scoured the website she thought a thief might use to try to sell it: Craigslist.

    While Craigslist has been the point of origin for some crimes, in this case, it helped solve one. Not only did she find the stolen device, she led police straight to her violator, who turned out to be a teen boy.

    Identified publicly only as Sarah, the Saline, Mich. mom noticed the GPS was missing from her car, which was parked in front of her house.

    "I was upset someone would take something of mine from my vehicle," she told WDIV-Detroit, in an on-air interview.

    So she went online and saw an ad in the Ann Arbor Craigslist with this headline: "GPS Garmin Nuvi - $75 (Saline, Michigan)" posted about 3 a.m. on April 3. Under the description: "Practically brand new." Other details made her think this was her GPS, so she and the police worked together to set up an undercover sting that played out over a span of a few days. She told newscasters she was nervous about pinning the crime on the wrong person, but when this "buyer" and seller finally met, the police intervened and found her GPS at his house. He had brought a different device to their meeting.

    Police called her an hour after she met with the thief and told her they'd found her stolen GPS, which wasn't new but a "treasured Christmas gift from Dad." 

    Police are working on a warrant request against the teen.

    More Craigslist stories:

    Check out Technolog on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Athima Chansanchai, who kind of wishes Craigslist had been around when her New York apartment was broken into years ago.

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