Buying from Craigslist and trusting others...?

So I saw a pretty good deal on a camera body on Craigslist. It wasn't too good to be true, just a decent price.
I'm wondering if there is a way to run the serial number on the body just to make sure it's not stolen?

Seems that asking the seller a few questions would let you know whether they have any knowledge of photography and the product. If they don't have a clue I'd say it would be stolen.

This actually happened to me once but I didn't realize what was up until we were in the parking lot and the flash was on my camera. Dude was super sketchy, I paid him and split to avoid any confrontation.

Typically, it is hard to run serial numbers. Most people don't have them documented to even be able to provide to police.

The thing is to check on what comes with the camera. If they took it off someone on the street, not having the battery charger or instruction manual could be a possible clue. Body or lens caps are things photographers are adamant about keeping around so if they're missing, it would raise alarm bells with me. Basic knowledge about how the camera handled or why they're looking to let it go like the post above me mentioned.

I guess that would be a way to guess if it's legit. I've just heard too many stories

Meet somewhere safe and trust your gut.

I’ve bought and sold countless things and never had an issue.