Woman Seeks $5K Hit Man on Craigslist

(NEWSER) - Sure, the ads in Craigslist’s new “Adult Services” section are tamer than those that appeared in the old “Erotic Services” category, shuttered after the firestorm surrounding the “Craigslist killer” case. But read between the lines and the meaning is still the same, Chris Matyszczyk writes for CNET. “This is little more than a dance, a dysfunctional Argentine tango between those who advertise sexual services on Craigslist and those who have sought to pursue the site.” More»

Police believe three hotel murders are related

(NEWSER) - Authorities believe a man suspected in attacks that left one woman dead and two others shaken in New England hotels found his victims through Craigslist, ABC News reports. Julissa Brisman, who advertised massage-therapy services on the site, was killed in a Boston Marriott on Tuesday; women offering similar services were attacked last week in Boston and last night in Warwick, RI. More»

Bought in California, sold in Brooklyn

(NEWSER) - The list of Craigslist crimes keeps growing. Police have now busted a $1million dollar drug ring operating through the site. The group allegedly shipped drugs like Vicodin and Adderall from California to Brooklyn where web-savvy wholesalers pawned the pharm off to neighborhood yuppies, reports the New York Daily News . The accused, who are twentysomethings, face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Click here to read about another creative Craigslist venture (hint: it involves panties). More»

Site doubled the price, stopped donating profits to charity

(NEWSER) - For a free site, Craigslist is doing all right: The classified-ad behemoth's profit is projected to climb 22% over last year, reports the New York Times —driven almost entirely by its controversial sex ads, which have been connected to prostitution, human trafficking, and one murder charge. In response to crimes linked to the site last year, Craigslist began manually reviewing sex ads—but it also doubled the price and stopped donating the proceeds to charity. More»

Documents show FBI friends suspects to mine information

(NEWSER) - Your next Facebook friend might well be a federal agent trying to bust you. That’s the gist of a Justice Department document obtained via the Freedom of Information Act by a privacy group. It reveals that FBI agents are mining social networks for info on suspects, ranging from alibi confirmation to suspicious photos. Watchdogs are wary. “It doesn't really discuss any mechanisms for accountability,” one tells the AP . More»