Crowds take man’s stuff after reading hoax ads

[Praxius]

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/World/1045422.html

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 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.

The trespassers, armed with printouts of the ad, tried to brush him off.

"They honestly thought that because it appeared on the Internet it was true," Salisbury said. "It boggles the mind."

Jacksonville police and Jackson County sheriff’s deputies arrived but by then several cars packed with Salisbury’s property had fled.

He turned some licence plate numbers over to police.

Ha ha ha ha... that's just silly.

 

[karrie]

oh my gosh, would that ever erode your faith in your fellow man or what?

 

[Tonington]

That's insane. I wonder if he had any firearms taken as well :angryfire:

 

[Unforgiven]

That some people feel they have a legal right to it, is scary enough for me.

 

[Praxius]

That some people feel they have a legal right to it, is scary enough for me.

Yeah, I'd be asking if the ads have my signature on them, if not.... someone's getting a beating if they don't give me back my stuff.

Afterwards, I would then devote all my time tracking down where that ad came from and who made it....... You can use your imagination as to what might follow.

 

[Lester]

He must of done something to deserve it, a person just doesn't go to all that trouble for nothing- I mean just to be malicious? it's somebody he knows obviously.

 

[karrie]

It would be a funny prank IF he was home when people started showing up. And the article says 'he wasn't planning on being out'.

 

[Lester]

Well this is why I don't pull pranks - They can go terribly awry. If Ipulled a prank and it went south like this- I 'd be sh*tting myself, what would you do? confess? if he finds the IP and provider he's going to find out who the perp is.
Lester

 

[karrie]

yeah, I can't pull pranks either. Too paranoid of the fallout.

 

[Lester]

Paranoid that's the word- I can picture myself sitting in the basement going "oh sh*t, oh sh*t" all the while giggling nervously.

 

[DurkaDurka]

Craig's List won't turn over the IP address over to anyone without a court order . Even if you knew the IP address, at best you would be able to determine the city he lives in.

That's is a pretty good trick though, a great way to put the screws to someone if you ever feel so inclined.

 

[Outta here]

I dunno, this doesn't sound like a prank to me - pranks are meant to be fun - a good laugh for everyone including the one who got pranked...

... this looks more like the work of a someone with a grudge. Very nasty.

 

[Praxius]

Paranoid that's the word- I can picture myself sitting in the basement going "oh sh*t, oh sh*t" all the while giggling nervously.

Then I tap you on the shoulder holding my only Hockey stick they didn't take...

"Yeah that's right! Time to get my stuff back through you!!" *Thump*

"Hey! I heard I can sell all..." *Thump* "... Kinds of organs over the internet to countries in Asia!" *Thump* "I heard your's were free for the taking!!" *Thump* "The note said you'd be out..... Well you'll be out soon enough!" *Thump* "Maybe I'll..." *Thump* "... leave you..." *Thump* "... You're heart and..." *Thump* *phew... * *Thump* "... Brain so that you...." *Thump* "... Live in a jar for the rest of your life...." *Thump Thump* ".... where you can't speak, taste, hear, smell, see anything forever...." *Thump* "And Ever....."

*Pulls switchblade*

"Now the owner is out, let's see what we have here... Always gotta make a positive out of a negative I suppose....."

ok geez don't get all freaky on me, it's a joke people.... you should see my comic book "Stomach Man" Heh heh.....

 

[Sal]

Placing this kind of ad has to be illegal. Come on, there have to be legal consequences for the person that placed the ad. It is misrepresentation. It is fraud. It is theft.

And what kind of people just rifle through someone esle's belongings without ensuring they may.

This is a legal issue. There was malicious intent here or the person who did this as a prank has one hell of a low I.Q.

 

[shadowshiv]

That some people feel they have a legal right to it, is scary enough for me.

I agree 100%. For them to also think that it was real just because it was on the internet makes it even more scary. It is like a change machine giving you too much money back because it is malfunctioning and you decide to keep it. That is theft, just like going into someone's house just because an ad on the internet says it is okay.

I believe if this WAS legit, they would have some police there(or some sort of security anyhow) to prevent it from getting out of hand. I think that anyone that took things should get slapped with a fine at least. Common sense should count for something, but it looks like there are far too many people out there that lack it.

If it was my house and belongings that they pilfered from, you can be damned sure that I would press charges against every single one of them. What possible reasoning could they give to prevent it from happening? "Oh, but it said in an ad on the internet that it was true!". Sure. And there is a foreign Prince that has millions of dollars for you if you just give him your bank information.

I cry bull**** on them.:angryfire: