At least 5 people have contacted me to say they were taken in and one person wired money, the others gave sensitive financial information. If 5 people admitted to getting scammed, there are likely twice as many that I don’t know about.
Bottom line, protect yourself when dealing with Craig’s List. Insist on meeting the landlords or management companies at the property. If they are real, they will have access to the home. If they give you excuses, you need to be wary. Be especially careful with anyone who says they are “out of the country”. People don’t rent homes that way. They will at least hire a local management company to watch over their home.