Robert Salisbury Craigslist Hoax
Robert Salisbury of
Oregon was the victim of a
Craigslist Hoax. On March 22, 2008, an ad appeared on
Craigslist stating that Salisbury needed to leave the area suddenly, and all of his possessions, including a
horse, needed to be left behind. The ad stated that all was free for the taking.
Salisbury, however, did not place the ad and had no plans to leave. Michelle Easley, who had gone to claim the horse, became suspicious, and alerted police, who contacted Salisbury at work. On his way home, he passed cars loaded with his belongings. When he confronted the looters, they showed him the ad and refused to return his things. Police have said that anyone who keeps items they took from Salisbury's house will be prosecuted. They are working with Craigslist to identify who placed the ad.
Fast Facts:
- Location: Jacksonville, Oregon
- Ad was run twice
- At least 30 people answered it
Quotes:
- Robert Salisbury: "I informed them I was the owner, but they refused to give the stuff back...They showed me the Craigslist printout and told me they had the right to do what they did. They honestly thought that because it appeared on the Internet it was true...It boggles the mind."
- Michelle Easley, who called the authorities: "I feel bad because I was a part of it...It felt right to call the police."
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