Local News | Man scammed by Craigslist ad | Seattle Times Newspaper

JACKSONVILLE, Ore. — A pair of hoax ads on Craigslist cost an Oregon man much of what he owned.

The ads popped up Saturday afternoon, saying the owner of a Jacksonville home was forced to leave the area suddenly and his belongings, including a horse, were free for the taking, said Jackson County sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Colin Fagan.

But Robert Salisbury had no plans to leave. The independent contractor was at Emigrant Lake when he got a call from a woman who had stopped by his house to claim his horse.

On his way home he stopped a truck loaded down with his work ladders, lawn mower and weed eater.

“I informed them I was the owner, but they refused to give the stuff back,” Salisbury said. “They showed me the Craigslist printout and told me they had the right to do what they did.”

The driver sped away after rebuking Salisbury. On his way home he spotted other cars filled with his belongings.

Once home he was greeted by close to 30 people rummaging through his barn and front porch.

This is a regression into lunacy that I could not have predicted. It’s Idiocracy. I hope Salisbury finds the maggot who posted that and beats the ever-loving crap out of him with a tire iron. I hope the morons who were taking stuff out of the house feel appropriately foolish, but I suspect many of them actually do feel like they are owed whatever they stole from the guy.

Now, with this kind of idiocy there on the front pages, how long before the next one of these surf-by lootings happen? And, I ask with all seriousness, what would happen if Mr. Salisbury had been home and started shooting the thiefs? Because I can see that happening, very easily.