By Colleen Rothe

Anyone who lives a life surrounded by digital tools knows and likely loves Craigslist.

But it’s not the end all be all when it comes to online classifieds. Some new pioneers to the world of online classified advertising are breaking out and giving Craig a run for readership.

There are several sites available. The most notable ones are Oodle.com, Kijiji.com, ClassifiedAds.com, and WebCosmos.com.

In terms of interface – best organized and easiest to navigate – and apparent growing readership, ClassifiedAds.com comes out on top in my “smart consumer” notebook. I’ve been watching them for a few months now and they are growing and growing – with 1.5 million unique visitors per month. Giving you another area to buy and sell things – or to get stuff for free. Posting an ad is always free.

Some of us just tend to be drawn to the underdog. ClassifiedAds is the underdog here – well they beat Web Cosmos – but the small guy in this game seems to have lots the others don’t.

Additionally, Oodle is really focused on getting big business classifieds pushed towards the masses and Kijiji is owned by eBay. In my mind that’s a bit of a conflict of interest. Besides, who’s going to go to Oodle or Kijiji when looking for an alternative to Craigslist? If someone is searching for a Craigslist alternative, I think they’re going to think old school: classified ads. That’s where ClassifiedAds.com wins the mark.

However, you’re not getting a great deal if you just end up getting scammed.

Consumers need to be careful because Craigslist and the rest are target zones for scammers. Any time you have a market to sell something, you also have a market for scammers.

So what can you do to keep yourself safe when buying and selling online? Here’s some great tips from ClassifiedAds.com.

• Deal with people in your area.
The vast majority of scammers will contact you from another country or somewhere far away. The best way to avoid scams is to deal locally, in person.

• Do not wire funds (via Western Union, etc.).
If you are asked to wire funds, you are talking to a scammer.

• Beware of fake cashier checks and money orders.
Fakes are common and banks may even cash them. But when the fraud is discovered you may be liable.

• Never share your private info.
Anyone asking for bank account numbers, login info, or social security is a scammer.

• Avoid shipping and escrow.

By the way, the free wine cabinet in Seattle, I’ve already claimed. What treasure can you sell or pickup cheap? See you in the classifieds!