There is a major article in today' Globe and Mail on Craiglist. I share some excerpts and the link:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080501.wlcraigscrooks01/BNStory/lifeMain/home
Craigs crime scene
Craigslist has become so clogged with scams - not to mention postings for child sex rings, ads soliciting hit men, listings for prostitutes and calls to trash homes - that some users are logging off. Patrick White reports
------------------------
Law-enforcement officials in Canada don't track how many crimes are committed using Craigslist every year, but RCMP and Ontario Provincial Police units do regularly troll the site for ne'er-do-wells, said RCMP Corporal Louis Robertson, spokesman for the Canadian anti-fraud centre PhoneBusters.
------------------------------
Recently, Craigslist has made daily headlines as a conduit for crime. From child prostitution rings and alleged murders to scams involving phony puppies, postings have become so clogged with fraudulent ads that some users are turning away from the site altogether.
----------------
In the past year, police in Canada have busted a Toronto high-end hooker who lured johns through Craigslist, a Hamilton fraudster who sold $18,000 worth of fake sports tickets through the site and a Toronto scammer who collected thousands of dollars in first and last month's rent for apartments he advertised on Craigslist but didn't actually own.
-----------------------------
Even stranger, a Minnesota man who thought he had hired a prostitute through Craigslist was shot in the jaw after opening his door for the woman. Police say the woman and a male accomplice intended to rob the john all along.
---------------------------
"I am astonished and appalled by Craigslist's refusal to recognize the reality of prostitution on its website - despite advertisements containing graphic photographs and hourly rates, and widespread public reports of prostitutes using the site," Mr. Blumenthal wrote.
------------------------------
When investigations lead police to Craigslist, the site's 25-member staff freely co-operates.
---------------------------
Law-enforcement officials in Canada agree that Craigslist is not the problem; "It's the people using it who are," Cpl. Robertson said.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080501.wlcraigscrooks01/BNStory/lifeMain/home
Craigs crime scene
Craigslist has become so clogged with scams - not to mention postings for child sex rings, ads soliciting hit men, listings for prostitutes and calls to trash homes - that some users are logging off. Patrick White reports
------------------------
Law-enforcement officials in Canada don't track how many crimes are committed using Craigslist every year, but RCMP and Ontario Provincial Police units do regularly troll the site for ne'er-do-wells, said RCMP Corporal Louis Robertson, spokesman for the Canadian anti-fraud centre PhoneBusters.
------------------------------
Recently, Craigslist has made daily headlines as a conduit for crime. From child prostitution rings and alleged murders to scams involving phony puppies, postings have become so clogged with fraudulent ads that some users are turning away from the site altogether.
----------------
In the past year, police in Canada have busted a Toronto high-end hooker who lured johns through Craigslist, a Hamilton fraudster who sold $18,000 worth of fake sports tickets through the site and a Toronto scammer who collected thousands of dollars in first and last month's rent for apartments he advertised on Craigslist but didn't actually own.
-----------------------------
Even stranger, a Minnesota man who thought he had hired a prostitute through Craigslist was shot in the jaw after opening his door for the woman. Police say the woman and a male accomplice intended to rob the john all along.
---------------------------
"I am astonished and appalled by Craigslist's refusal to recognize the reality of prostitution on its website - despite advertisements containing graphic photographs and hourly rates, and widespread public reports of prostitutes using the site," Mr. Blumenthal wrote.
------------------------------
When investigations lead police to Craigslist, the site's 25-member staff freely co-operates.
---------------------------
Law-enforcement officials in Canada agree that Craigslist is not the problem; "It's the people using it who are," Cpl. Robertson said.
