Should Kitten Flipping Be a Crime?

First, we should say that we have received no reports of kitten flipping in the Washington, DC area. So far kitten flipping seems confined to Brooklyn, New York. But it's such an inventive scam that chances are good it will appear here in the Washington, DC area soon, or it's already here and just under the radar.

Oh, what's kitten flipping?

Craigslist Scammer in DC Area

Photo by Jean-Etienne Minh-Duy Poirrier

There's a scammer prowling the Washington, DC area Craigslist.  Well, almost certainly more than one scammer. We wanted to report on this particular one, which was posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv, because it is in some ways the quintessential Craigslist scam. You can read more about how to prevent yourself from getting scammed on Craigslist here.

I almost just fell for a furniture scam on Craigslist and wanted to spread the word to make sure you guys don't do the same if you're selling things in the near future! I posted an advertisement for a bed frame, mattress and box spring, and received an email from a Janet Cole asking if it was still available. When I said it was, the lengthy response email she sent me set off some red flags: She told me she didn't have time to come look at it herself but would FedEx me a personal check, have movers pick up the items, and oh, yeah -- she's deaf, so there's no way for me to contact her except by email.

Has Online Prostitution Ended in DC?

Online prostitution has come to an end in the District of Columbia and in the surrounding suburbs. Mostly. Probably. Possibly.

Bowing to pressure from seventeen state attorneys general and being accused of helping promote not just prostitution, but child prostitution, Craigslist has removed its adult services section, replacing it with the word "censored."  The photo to the right is what Craigslist in DC looks like.