About a dozen men who answered a job ad on Craigslist discovered too late that their employer was a bank robber who had hired them to assist his getaway by dressing as decoys.

Thomas Claburn, Editor at Large, Enterprise Mobility

October 2, 2008

1 Min Read

About a dozen men who answered a job ad on Craigslist discovered too late that their employer was a bank robber who had hired them to assist his getaway by dressing as decoys.According to Seattle CBS affiliate King5, a man wearing a construction respirator mask assaulted an armored car guard with pepper spray in Monroe, Wash., on Tuesday and ran off with the bag of money the guard had been carrying.

The robber fled on foot toward a nearby creek, and one witness said he floated away on a waiting inner tube.

To confuse pursuers, the robber had placed an ad on Craigslist for workers for a road maintenance project. The ad promised $28.50 an hour.

Those who answered the ad were told to meet near the Bank of America in Monroe, at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. They were told to wear a "yellow vest, safety goggles, a respirator mask ... and, if possible, a blue shirt," said Mike (no last name given), according to King5's report.

The robber was dressed the same way.

It's not clear whether the dozen or so identically clad would-be workers made life harder for the police investigating the crime. But the incident demonstrates how effective social engineering cons can be, online or offline.

About the Author(s)

Thomas Claburn

Editor at Large, Enterprise Mobility

Thomas Claburn has been writing about business and technology since 1996, for publications such as New Architect, PC Computing, InformationWeek, Salon, Wired, and Ziff Davis Smart Business. Before that, he worked in film and television, having earned a not particularly useful master's degree in film production. He wrote the original treatment for 3DO's Killing Time, a short story that appeared in On Spec, and the screenplay for an independent film called The Hanged Man, which he would later direct. He's the author of a science fiction novel, Reflecting Fires, and a sadly neglected blog, Lot 49. His iPhone game, Blocfall, is available through the iTunes App Store. His wife is a talented jazz singer; he does not sing, which is for the best.

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