Craigslist is a website that allows people to post classified ads for goods or services that they want to buy or sell. Due to a large number of spam ads being posted on the website the company implemented an account verification system for service ads. Craigslist also restricted each account to posting only 3 ads every 48 hours.
To have an active Craigslist account you need an email account, a IP address, and a phone number that has been call back verified. If these three do not match Craigslist will not allow you to create an account.
For spammers the first two are easy to create. They can create Gmail or Hotmail accounts, and by routing through different internet servers have unique IPs associated with each email account. What they have difficulty doing is by passing the phone number call back verification.
When creating a Craigslist account an automated system will call you back to the phone number that you provided. The automated system will says "This is Craigslist calling your pin number is 12345." You have to enter this pin number to activate the Craigslist account online.
Spammers don't want their phone number linked to the spam Craigslist account. Also posting hundreds of spam ads on Craigslist will require hundreds of phone numbers.
The Do Not Call List Scam
A spammer call you and says:
This Steve Harperson calling from the Canadian National Do Not Call List. We would like to ensure that your phone number is included in the National Do Not Call List. In a few minutes after I hang up a lady will call you and provide you with an activation number. I will then call back and if you provide me with that activation number you will be added to on the Canadian National Do Not Call List.The spammer then enters your phone number on the Craigslist account activation page. You will get a call from 310-928-7055 which is the Craigslist activation call center. The automated message will give you an activation pin number.
After you hang up the spammer will call back and ask for the pin number. If you give him the number your telephone number is now associated with the spam Craigslist account that he has created.
From talking to people who have been targeted the spammers will be persistent. They will call back even if you hang up or tell them to get lost.
Your best bet is don't agree to have anyone call you back. Tell them that you have their phone number (this number changes as they route through different telephone exchanges) and that you will be filing a report with the police.
How Much is a Craigslist Phone Number Verified Account Worth?
Millions of people use Craigslist every day.
A Craigslist PVA account is worth a lot to a spammer. They can use the account to post fake ads, sell stolen goods or perpetuate fraud, and your phone number is associated with this activity.
Craigslist PVA accounts, in large amounts, sell online for $5.00 to $6.00 each. Good money for 10 minutes of social engineering.
Victims Stories
Suri - 28 Nov 2008
I got a call from this number , prior to this I got a call from 919-674-0114 and they said I will get a call and a 5 digit activation code will be left in your voice mail, and within 5 minutes I will call you back and you please provide the activation number, so that no unsolicited calls will be made to you in future. They said the US Govt's DNC has chosen craig's list to provide this service and I will not be charged a penny for this service
Anonymous - 1 Jul 2009
I got a call around 2.30 PM today. The caller identified him as David Kingston from FCC and informed me that they will send a 5 digit code for stopping marketing calls. In the next minute, I received a call from the number 310-928-7055 (an automated message) that gave a code (Some where in the message, I heard Craigs List). After a minute, the same caller called me to confirm the code (identified himself as David Kingston of FCC again). When I asked him about the relationship between FCC and Craigs List, he started threatening me that he can levy a penalty as I am rejecting a call from FCC. I asked him to stop calling me and hung up. He called me again and asked the reason for disconnecting my call. I was really annoyed and asked him to stop calling me.
Stumble It!
I just got the same exact call that is described above. They were very polite and convincing but there is no way a legitimate company would use an the name of another prominent company in their email address and code verification!!!
my wife got exactly similar call and guy said he was from CRTC and was offering DO NOTCALL registry free and that the code os being given by the government he mentioned 1888-232-5322 as tollfree and crtc.gc.ca as website. He took the 5 digit code after calling back and said to use it when some telemrketeer calls. Shall I report it to police or anything.we live in surrey,bc and theguy who called has east indian accent and called himself Robin.
Just had this happen to me today. The guy "Peter" spoke with an East Indian accent as well and the background noise was as if he was in some "boiler room" with many other people doing the same. So happy to have not given him the code, found it weird when the automated lady called saying that she was from Craig's List. I mean come on- Craig's List??? So that rang a bell in my head that something wasn't right. The guy was getting all uptight, saying he NEEDED the #, it would expire in 15 minutes. So I got just as uptight with him and hung up. The idiot called me back and pressed me for the # again. I told him to let it expire. Googled my inquiry and found this site! Thanks!
It happened to me just now. I got a call from guy name "Martin" with an East Indian accent with some background noise as if he was in some "boiler room" with many other people doing the same. It does not make sense to me by Canadian gov will waist money distributing pin numbers. I just hanged up this "Martin" guy. I did receive call from Craigslist and same story, Mr. Martin called me back asking the pin number...
just got a call from a guy with an east indian accent who told me the same thing and then a few minutes later a lady phoned and gave me the activation number stating not to disclose it to anyone ,so when he called back a minute later ,asking for the number ,I refused to give it to him.he became insistant when I refused and said I would receive telemarketing calls .glad I found this post and didn't give him the number.
I got a call from an indian sounding guy as well mentioning the do not call registry and unfortunately got taken into giving the 5 digit number to him. Can this be used in a negative way against me or the worst is me getting banned from Craigslist?
I just got the same thing happen to me. He said his name was John. When I heard craigslist, it did not make sense to me. When they called back and asked for the pin, I hung up. They then called back twice. The second time leaving a weird message telling me I was a lovely lady. I then called CRTC and they told me of the scam and to call phonebusters.
Was phonebusters able to help you with this?
Same happened hear, Got a call from a guy, had no accent from what i could tell, Said he was from the gov't do no call list on behalf od craigs list and somone will give a pin which he will verify. I asked him who he was, he just repeated the same thing again, I asked him to call later and again ignores me and just repeats the same thing. Now im getting suspicous, he seemed to be in a hurry, so i agree. Get automated call, record the pin. He calls back, i ask craigslist relationship with the gov't. makes up some mumbo jumbo and insists on the pin. I hang up, he calls back, i dont answer phnone any more
It just happened to me too on May 5th 2010 around afternoon. Guy identified as Indian name Harry and gave the same instruction. I followed it and gave the activation number. Then i read this forum immediately called Phone busters and sought advise. They advised me to report to craiglist thru website with phone number, activtion number. But i didn't received any acknowledgment. Hope so my landline Phone number gets disassociated from all the fraudulent or scam accounts.
This just happened to me June 2, the guy sounded legit and it should have clicked that it was a scam but I was tired. Has anyone has any negative results? Like charges or something? If the worst thing is banned off craigslist that would be great, but has anyone in this situation got screwed over in some way?
This happened to my wife yesterday. Same story, guy with an Indian accent claiming to be calling from the Government Do Not Call List. Then she got a call from Craigslist. Soon after that the guy called again asking for the code. But she refused to give the code to him. He tried again but she didn't respond. I informed CRTC and PhoneBusters. Both say that they are not investigating. I think non-investigation of these matters would lead to more incidents like this.
I received a call from 1-310-928-7055 on June 2, 2010. It kind of put my guard up because I wasn't aware that the crtc.gc.ca would call you now.
When I first got the call it my call display showed a blocked number. When the guy explained 'who he was' and that he was from the national do not call list (telling me that I have recently registered my number there), they are not calling those that registered to do this set up code for unwanted calls.
I kept asking him why the number was blocked if they're legit and he said it's because there are many spammers out there copying them...so they block the number for that reason....um, okay??
Then he said, 'okay, I'll call you back with this PIN code that you key in after the call and everytime you receive a telemarketing do not call number which is to report them.
Whatever....it wasn't making much sense to me and was not comfortable keying in any number. So he called back and made sure the number was unblocked and it was this 310-928-7055 number. Needless to say no one at home wanted to answer...a message was left with the PIN code.
I have not used this PIN code nor ever will especially after researching and found this information. I'm so glad I listened to my instincts. This number should be reported to the National Do Not Call List https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/nrt-ntr-eng and to PhoneBusters 1-888-495-8501 (http://www.phonebusters.com/)
Thank you all for reporting your experience...glad to know what this call really was.
We own a restaurant and received a call from a John Miller from the City of Glendale Health department. He said that the health inspector would be coming tomorrow between 4-5pm to follow up on 2 complaints. First, I couldn't understand a word he was saying clearly because he had a heavy East Indian accent. He said that he would hang up and I will receive an automated call with an inspection ID# that I was required to give to the health inspector. So I hung up and answered the automated call and wrote down the ID# which was given by Craigslist. I then called the phone number that John Miller gave me and it was not a valid phone #. John called back shortly and asked for that code. I asked what were the complaints about and again where was he calling from. Then I told him that I called back that # he left earlier and that was not a valid #. He then said I must have dialed the wrong # and gave me another #. He answered my questions then wanted the ID#. I gave him the # then he said that it didn't work. He then asked me for another phone # or cell #. I said this is the only # for the restaurant and there is no other phone. He insisted that I ask anyone for a cell # so he could text me the ID#. I told him that this sounds fishy and I'm not giving you any information without speaking to my manager. I asked him to call back but he never did.