Pranksters on the popular classifieds site Craigslist posted an ad claiming that the owner of a house in Oregon had abandoned the property, and that all the belongings were up for grabs. Users of the site flocked to the home of Richard Salisbury and stripped it of nearly all of his possessions. The homeowner arrived home to catch the thieves redhanded, but they refused to disperse or return his belongings, displaying the Craigslist ad as "proof" they were not breaking the law.

Tis is the second such incident within a year. Last April, a Tacoma, Washington woman reported that thieves ransacked her home after a similar ad was placed. Craigslist is working with authorities to trace the origins of the ad.