Hawai’i Police Department
Criminal Investigations Section, Area II
Acting Lieutenant Myra Iwamoto
Phone: 326-4646, Ext. 281
August 11, 2009

The Hawai’i Police Department is warning the public to beware of scams that target individuals who post items on Craig’s List.

A 57-year-old Kailua-Kona woman reported that she posted a listing for a vacation rental. Someone posing as an interested renter sent the woman a check for more than the amount of the rental and asked her to deposit the check and then return the difference by Western Union. After the Kona woman complied, the original check was rejected as bogus.

Detectives investigating the case have learned that many other complaints have been received nationwide about similar scams that target persons who use Craig’s List.

Police urge the public to be leery of any requests for money or financial information from unknown persons.

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