Scams on Craigslist

Recently I've been looking for a new apartment since my current lease is quickly coming to an end. Besides calling realtors, checking the classified, and driving around looking for "For Rent" signs, I've also been checking Craigslist ads. Of the 100 or so I read over the past month, I e-mailed six that I thought looked promising. Three came back as honest, real people trying to sublet their place. The other three, however, were not.

The first response I got back was a very long-winded, several paragraph message that explained why they were moving, and asking for enough pieces of personal information to easily steal my identity. Most people looking to sublease their place don't need to know your mother's maiden name. All of this was in response to my question, "is this house still available?"

i and my family are both in west africa, it was due to my transfer that made me and my family to leave the house, we are x ray weldders

What really impressed me with this rental was the amenities:

my house is still available for rent for $800 including public services such as hydro power, washer and security is furnished etc.

Hydro power? And my own security? It's probably necessary to protect the hydroelectric dam that's in the backyard. But why a washer and no dryer? No thanks, I'll pass.

Next up was another long response to yet again another simple question, "what neighborhood is this townhouse in? The address listed puts it in Foxridge, is that right?" No answer to my question, but they did tell me why they moved out:

I and my family just move down to Hawaii due to my present condition which is personal and for some other reason that is important to my family.

Wow, you couldn't even come up with a second reason Mr. Scammer? "And for some other reason." Whatever, I don't like that side of town anyways, so I had to keep looking.

The last one came just today. The Craigslist ad listed no address, so I simply wrote asking "where is this apartment located in town?" Another multiple-paragraph response, that never once mentioned an address, but this one had a new angle:

There is no application fee! The only requirements we have are that you have proof of income (a pay stub, bank statement or other proof is fine) and provide us with a credit report which we provide for free.

In other words, if you could give me your bank statement and credit report, I'll go ahead and steal your identity and all of your money. I am curious, though, what counts as "other proof" of income? A big pile of money perhaps, a nice car, rare coin collection perhaps? Sadly, judging from the pics he sent me, the appliances look old and outdated, so I guess I'll just keep looking.