NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Many people out of work turn to Web sites such as Craigslist for help finding a job.

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"I'm a little college kid trying to make it. I'm perfect prey,” said victim Zena Elam. "I'm in a rut already. I mean, I lost my job a month ago, and I've already had to sell my car, my guitar, my flute."

Elam tried to sub-lease her University Gables Apartment in Murfreesboro, so she posted it on Craigslist. Two days later, she got a call.

"She said she was on this project in South Africa and she was moving back to the states and needed a place to stay," said Elam.

The woman sent her three money grams worth $970 each -- nearly $3,000. Elam went straight to her bank.

"I looked her up, and she was on scamwatch.com, or something like that, and she was on three other scams," said Elam.

Elam is not alone. Murfreesboro police said they have gotten numerous complaints about people becoming victims of scams on Craigslist, mostly those who are out of work and who turned to Craigslist's job postings to find work.

Police said it's just a new twist on an old, familiar scam.

"Instead of doing it in person like the pigeon drop in the park lot, that's right, this is the new way to do this," Murfreesboo police department Major Clyde Adkison. "That's what these con artists are doing, and they're good at it," said Adkinson.

Elam said she feels she is an easy target now. She received another call from a scammer, but this tossed up a red flag.

"Why would they trust a complete stranger with $3,000?" said Elam

Thursday, she received a cashier's check in the mail anyway.

Channel 4 talked to two victims who turned to Craigslist to find a job. One lost about $100 in the scam. The other said he tried to see how far the scammers would go. So, when he received a $3,300 check, he took it straight to police.