I live in a really small town that for some reason just got craigslist not too long ago....?

and I posted an ad for a roomate. out of the five responses I got before taking it down three people were trying to scam me such as:

I only have a dresser and a pad that i will be coming over with.Also,my car will be shipped over before my arrival and i hope to arrive by the mid of next month.

As i already told You,i'll be working as a pediatric nurse in any hospital around.my uncle will be incharge of all rental fees until i can get a good job,he is a very wealthy man.

I have let my uncle understand more about you and he is really comfortable with the price and also,he said we will be making payment to hold down the place and the mode of payment will be the Most acceptable,easier,safer and reliable means of payment which is United State CERTIFIED MONEY ORDER.so pls let me know if this mode of payment is ok by you.

What the hell? And do people buy into this stuff?

Yes, some people do. When ever entertaining the idea of renting, and signing into a lease agreement, you need to make sure you do the following to protect yourself:
1) Make the applicant fill out an application and have them include all of their employment info, income, SS# to check their credit, and references.
2) Include specific language in the agreement about issues such as how many people will live there, including children, smoking, pets, and any deposit monies.
Good Luck!

I work at a bank, and you would be really suprised how many people actually buy into this crap. Some people actually get "YOU WON!" cashier's checks in the mail from foreign countries and try to deposit them. Hahah.