LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- Craigslist is a popular way to advertise goods or services, but if you deal with people you aren't meeting face to face, you risk getting scammed.

Lawrenceville resident JoJo Smith, who is trying to rent out two rooms in her home, almost found this out the hard way.

Smith said that within minutes of posting her ad, the replies started pouring in.

"It was like fleas on a dog," Smith said. "I received 19 e-mails in one day." All the "renters" said they would send Smith a check for the deposit of $1,600.

Smith received two checks in the mail, one for $3,950 and one for $4,800, well over the deposit amount. The "renters" then asked Smith to wire transfer the difference. That's when her red flag went up.

"You could tell right away that this was a scam," Smith said. Her bank verified the checks were fakes.

She took the checks to the Gwinnett County Police, who told CBS Atlanta there wasn't much they could do.

"A lot of times with Craigslist and these people that send checks, they are not even in the state or even in the country," said Captain David Schiralli.

On its Web site, Craigslist warns anyone who asks that money be transferred is a scammer and to deal only face to face with people. It's advice JoJo Smith is taking.

"I'm still going to rent my rooms," said Smith. "I'm just going to be much more careful now."