Craigslist has proved to be a useful resource for finding just about anything at a low price. But more commonly it seems people are sacrificing their safety just to get a good deal.

Recent reports in states across the country show that people have scammed, robbed and even killed in connection with the site.

Police in Washington state recently arrested a man for a robbery that occured in early January, according to a local newspaper, the Yakima Herald. The victims, a woman and her son, met with the man contacted through Craigslist. When she got to the empty parking lot, she was met by a man with a gun — who robbed her.

Perhaps the most troubling Craiglist related crime happened in Oregon when police said a pregnant woman was murdered by a woman she met on Craigslist, where the suspect was selling baby clothes.

In Boston, a woman who advertised masseuse services on Craigslist was murdered in a Marriott Hotel April 14 by a medical student, 23, who responded to the ad. The man was arrested 10 days later, ABC reported.

According to the Miami Herald, police are searching for crooks in Jacksonville who place false ads claiming to be A/C repairman, but never return the item when they take it to be fixed. A local news station also reported that a woman in Syracuse was scammed out of $275 when she wired her money to a seller, but never received the product in the mail.

Can these scams be avoided? Have you used Craigslist, and do you think its safe?

Is the risk of being scammed worth the legitimate deals?