MOSES LAKE - A Moses Lake resident answered an online

advertisement for available housing this week only to discover the

offer was a scam.

The man told Moses Lake police he had located a residence for

rent on Craigslist and signed an electronic contract via email with

what he was led to believe was a rental company.

MOSES LAKE - A Moses Lake resident answered an online advertisement for available housing this week only to discover the offer was a scam.

The man told Moses Lake police he had located a residence for rent on Craigslist and signed an electronic contract via email with what he was led to believe was a rental company. The victim said he purchased a Walmart money card for $350 and provided it to the company, also electronically. After sending the money the man told police he never heard back, only then realizing it was a scam.

Online scams like this are becoming more common and are difficult to investigate because they often involve illegitimate information given by the seller, said Moses Lake police Capt. Dave Ruffin.

Consumers should always be careful when making transactions with an unknown third party, especially when those purchases are made online, Ruffin said.

"We're starting to see more and more of this lately," he said. "You have to be very careful with Craigslist because there's no guarantee that you're going to get the product you paid for."

He suggested completing any money transfers face-to-face whenever possible, although buyers should still be cautious with any seller they don't know or ones they can find through legitimate, credible sources.

For more information, call 509-764-3887.