Craigslist: How to Report a Scam or Fraud
Scammed by a seller, charged for an order you didn’t place, or contacted by someone claiming to be Craigslist? Here are the official ways to report it in United States, read on Craigslist’s own help pages, plus the buyer-protection deadline and where to escalate.
Do this first
- Stop all contact and payments. Craigslist will never ask you to pay outside its own checkout, share a one-time code or install a remote-access app.
- Report it inside the official Craigslist app or website (steps below), not through a link or number you were sent.
- Craigslist has no public customer-care phone number. Any number claiming to be Craigslist support is a scam.
- If you paid by card, bank transfer or a payment app, call your bank’s fraud line now: see Bank Fraud Help.
- Watch the buyer-protection deadline below: claims made late are usually refused.
Know this about Craigslist
- Craigslist lists no customer-care phone number: contact it through the form on its website.
Craigslist in United States
craigslist.orgReport a problem or scam: Flag the posting with the 'prohibited' link at the top of the ad, then send the details through the craigslist contact form. Also report to the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov) and the FBI's IC3 (ic3.gov), and to local police if you were cheated in person. In Canada, report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Report a seller or listing: Use the 'prohibited' flag link at the top of the posting.
Fake Craigslist messages or sites: Scammers may pretend to be a craigslist user or another trusted authority to get your money, items or personal information. Report them through the craigslist contact form.
- Craigslist is a local, in-person classifieds site with no buyer-protection programme: you deal directly with the other person.
If Craigslist won’t help:
- FTC ReportFraud (1-877-382-4357): Report a fake shop, an order that never arrived or a business that won't refund. Reports help the FTC build cases and spot patterns. To reverse a payment, contact your bank, card issuer or payment app first.
- State consumer protection offices (via USAGov): Find your state attorney general or consumer protection office for a complaint against a business or a scam. Pick your state or territory on the page.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): Report online fraud and scams to the FBI.
Checked on Craigslist’s own help pages on 5 October 2026. Platforms change their support routes, so if something has moved, use the help section in the official app and tell us. See every platform and country in E-commerce Fraud Help, and report the crime to the police via the cyber agencies directory.