---
name: online-impersonation-response
description: >
  Respond when someone posts a fake ad or listing using your personal info
  (phone number, name, address) on classifieds (Craigslist, Facebook
  Marketplace, etc.). Covers detection, platform flagging, official
  takedown forms, and leveraging incoming contacts as extra flaggers.
tags: [craigslist, impersonation, abuse-reporting, phone-harassment]
triggers:
  - user says someone posted a fake ad with their phone number
  - user reports their personal info was used without permission on a classifieds site
  - user is getting spam calls/texts from a fake listing
---

# Online Impersonation & Personal-Info Abuse Response

## Outcome
Get the fraudulent listing taken down fast — flag it, submit a formal takedown request via the platform's personal-harassment form, and ask the people contacting you to also flag it.

## Process

### 1. Confirm the listing
- Get the **post URL** from the user, or ask them to search for the ad.
- If the user doesn't have a link: ask them to get the **post ID** (10 digits, at the bottom of the ad) from the next person who contacts them.

### 2. Flag the ad
- Navigate to the ad page.
- Click the **flag** button — it's above the post title on Craigslist.
- Confirm it changed to **"flagged"** in the page snapshot.

> ⚠️ **Pitfall**: One flag is helpful but not enough. Craigslist uses community flagging — multiple flags from different IPs/accounts trigger automated removal faster. Ask the user to forward the link to friends/family to flag too.

### 3. Gather user credentials
Before proceeding to the form, get from the user:
- Their **full name** and **email address**
- The **phone number** that was posted in the ad

### 4. Find the official takedown path
On Craigslist, the direct flow is:

1. Go to `https://www.craigslist.org/contact/`
2. Click **"personal harassment"**
3. Click **"My phone number is posted on craigslist"**
4. Click **"Contact us"** — the link at the bottom of the expanded section

The form requires:
| Field | What to provide |
|---|---|
| **Name** | User's name |
| **Email** | User's email |
| **Subject** | "Phone number posted in fake ad -- post ID [ID]" |
| **Description** | Brief description -- use this template: *"Someone created a fake [item type] ad on Craigslist using my phone number without permission. Ad: "[ad title]" in [city]/[area] [category]. I am not the poster. My number is being contacted by strangers. Please remove the ad and my number. Post ID: [ID]"* |
| **Impacted phone number** | The user's phone number that was posted |
| **Post ID** | The 10-digit post ID from the ad URL |
| **Keywords** | Title keywords from the ad to help them locate it |

> **Browser-state pitfall**: The form opens at a new URL after clicking "Contact us" in the tab. Element refs from the tab page are INVALID on the form page. Always call `browser_snapshot()` on the form page before calling `browser_type()` on form fields. If browser_type returns "Unknown ref", re-snapshot.

### 5. Submit and confirm
- Click the **Send Message** button (labeled "Send Message", usually ref=e9 on the form page).
- Verify success: the page should show *"Your message has been sent. Thank you for using craigslist."*
- If it doesn't confirm, re-check the form fields and retry.

### 6. Leverage incoming contacts
Every person who texts or calls about the fake ad is a potential flagger. Tell the user to reply to each one:
> *"That's a fake ad — my phone number was posted without permission. Please flag the listing (click the flag button above the title) to help get it taken down faster."*

### 7. Block & filter
- Block repeat callers on the user's phone.
- If volume is high, suggest a spam-call filtering app or temporary number blocking (Android/iOS "silence unknown callers" mode).

## Quick-reference URLs
- Flagging help: https://www.craigslist.org/about/help/safety/harassment/phone
- Contact form: https://www.craigslist.org/contact/

## References
See `references/craigslist-fake-ad-7943612372.md` for a worked example of this session — post ID, scam pattern (fake golden retriever puppy, Zelle $50), reporting flow.