I agree that CL is a bit of a minefield. There are so many scams, and B..S.
This situation to me didnt sound good right from the start as it's in the projects where alot of crap is always going on.
You have the "car date girls", and alot of the "toothless wonders" working so its kind of a giveaway.
We advertise on CL, as do most agencies as it gets alot of volume. We just have to sift through it, the same way you as a client has to.
Let's face it, most of us read the ads on there, even for a laugh sometimes.