Craigslist for Innocents

I have been unable to post on craigslist for ages. I could not figure out why. After doing research tonight, I believe I have fallen victim to Pharming, that is, a malicious program is on my computer, that came from clicking the wrong link. When I then go to post on a certain website, let's say craigslist, the malicious program directs me, when I try to post, onto a fake craigslist site where scammers try to glean phone numbers and passwords to create accounts to use for their spamming.

I did not realize it was such a huge issue for spammers--getting ahold of legit account information since their numbers and passwords are routinely blocked by craigslist. Apparently craigslist is aggressive in banning spammers and blocking their phone numbers and ISP's.

I did click a link way back. I am embarrassed to say I fell for it. I found a craigslist e-mail I thought was legit in my spam folder. However, the post associated wasn't mine. I clicked the link in the post.

Ever since, I've had terrible trouble trying to post on craigslist.

I finally began a search to find out details on why I can no longer post. I found all sorts of scammers sites. They get together and try to figure out ways to get around craigslist anti spamming/scamming efforts.

Unfortunately, I was one of their "solutions" and I don't know how to get the scammer pharming crap off my computer.

I found out other things, like, if you post to other cities, even nearby cities, instead of your own, you might get blocked by craigslist. If you post more than three ads in 48 hours you might get blocked or "ghosted". Ghosting means you think your ad has been posted but it never really appears on the site.

I learned a lot from the scammers tutorial sites. They're really not ethical people but they want to help any way they can in screwing craigslist to get around craigslist anti spam/scam efforts. And they do know their craigslist ways and means. It's scary.

They'll even give you code to embed in photos or links. Yikes! It made me nervous to even be reading their message posts about what they're trying and doing.

And now I know that my ISP is blocked because somebody tricked me and got my account info, by devious means and a method called pharming.

I've broken golden rules too by advertising in other cities. I did so because this area is small and so overwhelmed in unwanted cats that trying to find homes for cats here is almost pointless.

I'll have to come up with some other way to advertise cats.

The only craigslist ads I've been able to reliably post for months are those I get other people to post for me.