Craigslist can also be a haven for scams

People across the country use Craigslist to post housing listings, personals or items they have for sale.

For the most part, these posts are legitimate.

But that doesn't mean there aren't people out there who will try and use the site for malicious purposes.

Kristin Koetje thinks she has come across one of those people.

The mental health counselor for the Sebring VA Medical Clinic said she posted a rental ad on Craigslist recently for a Tampa condo she owns.

About a month ago, a woman claiming to be from France e-mailed about the condo, according to Koetje.

She immediately knew something was wrong, because she speaks French and this person's correspondence had lots of grammatical problems.

Then, the money arrived.

"I received two checks," Koetje said. "They're written for the same amount from two banks."

The checks were both for $3,500, and Koetje was supposed to deposit both of them as a down payment, despite the condo only costing $800 a month for rent.

Koetje said the woman asked her to send the remainder of the money back via Western Union so she could get her car out of South Dakota.

"I know something's wrong with this, because they could easily get somebody," she said. "It just makes me feel a little uncomfortable."

Koetje said the woman has only given her name once. In all other e-mails, she has signed off with, "kindest regards, your roomie."

As of Wednesday, Koetje, who is a Sebring resident, said she has not done anything with the checks.

"Some people have said just deposit them, so I can charge her with fraudulent check writing," she said.

That might not be the best idea, according to Nell Hays, crime prevention specialist for the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.

"If you deposit the checks ... then her account information may be on that check," she said. "I just don't like to see people even get involved in it at all."

Hays said this is definitely a scam and that sites like Craigslist can be used a lot for, "perpetrating that type of activity."

She added that there aren't many instances of this type of thing happening in Highlands County, but are more prevalent in other parts of Florida.

"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," Hays said.