Craigslist used to be the Wild West of the internet. If you were looking for a no-strings-attached encounter, you just headed to the "Personals" section, clicked on "Casual Encounters," and started scrolling. It was messy, it was often weird, but it worked. Then 2018 happened. The passage of FOSTA-SIPA changed everything overnight.
Honestly, if you're trying to figure out how to find sex on craigslist today, you’re likely looking at a digital graveyard. The site nuked its personals section to avoid legal liability, leaving millions of users wondering where the hell everyone went. You’ll still see people trying to game the system, but the game has fundamentally changed. It’s not just about clicking a link anymore; it’s about understanding how people have adapted to a censored platform and why most of what you see now is probably a scam.
The Death of Casual Encounters and the Rise of "Code"
When Craigslist pulled the plug on personals, the community didn't just vanish. They migrated. But some stayed and tried to hide in plain sight. You might find people posting in the "Community" or "General" sections, using incredibly vague language.
It's sketchy. Really sketchy.
Back in the day, "NSA" or "FWB" were the standard acronyms. Now, users try to bury their intent in listings for furniture or "missed connections" that feel a little too specific. However, there’s a massive catch. Because Craigslist no longer moderates these for dating or hookup purposes, the "safety" level has plummeted to zero. If you see an ad that feels like it's hinting at a hookup in the "For Sale" section under a cheap toaster, it’s almost certainly a bot or a phishing attempt.
The reality? Most people who were successful on the old Craigslist have moved to platforms that are actually built for this stuff. Sites like Feeld, HUD, or even the more chaotic corners of Reddit (like r4r) have absorbed that energy. Trying to force Craigslist to be a hookup site in 2026 is like trying to use a rotary phone to send a DM. It’s possible, but why would you put yourself through that?
Why the "Missed Connections" Section is a Dead End
People always point to Missed Connections as the last bastion of hope. It’s not.
💡 You might also like: Why Every Mom and Daughter Photo You Take Actually Matters
Missed Connections was designed for that "we locked eyes at the grocery store" vibe. It’s romantic, or at least it’s supposed to be. When the Personals went away, people flooded Missed Connections with blatant hookup requests. Craigslist responded by tightening their filters.
If you post something too graphic or even too suggestive there, the algorithm flags it instantly. The result is a section filled with:
- Scammers asking you to "verify" your identity on a third-party site.
- Bots harvesting email addresses.
- People who haven't realized the site changed six years ago.
Experts in digital privacy and online safety, like those at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), have frequently discussed how the removal of these moderated sections actually made the internet less safe. By pushing adult content into the shadows of general forums, it became harder to vet who you’re talking to. On the old personals, there was a sort of "community policing." Now, it's just a vacuum.
Spotting Scams in the Modern Craigslist Landscape
If you’re determined to keep looking, you have to be cynical. You have to assume every single "interested" person is actually a script running out of a server farm.
Red flags are everywhere. First, look at the photos. If the person looks like a professional model and the lighting is perfect, it’s a stock photo. Reverse image search it. You’ll likely find it on ten different "Hot Singles" ads across the web. Second, look at the language. Scammers often use slightly "off" English or weirdly formal phrasing. They’ll move the conversation to WhatsApp or Telegram almost immediately.
"Never, under any circumstances, click a link sent by a stranger on Craigslist that asks you to 'verify your age' or 'check my private gallery.' These are credential harvesting sites designed to steal your data or install malware."
📖 Related: Sport watch water resist explained: why 50 meters doesn't mean you can dive
That’s the gold standard of advice for anyone browsing the "leftovers" of the Craigslist social scene. The "verification" scam is the most common way people get burned today. They tell you they want to be "safe," so they ask you to sign up for a "free" site. You put in your credit card, and suddenly you’re out $50 a month for a subscription you can’t cancel.
The Legal Reality: FOSTA-SIPA and You
Why did Craigslist do this? It wasn't because they grew a moral conscience. It was purely about the money and the law.
The Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) and the Stop Enabled Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) made websites liable for the content posted by their users if it related to sex work. While the law was aimed at trafficking, the broad language meant that any "adult" personals could be seen as a liability.
Craigslist chose to kill the entire category rather than risk a federal lawsuit. This created a "chilling effect" across the entire internet. It’s why you see TikTok creators saying "un-alive" instead of "kill" and why "how to find sex on craigslist" has become a search for a ghost.
Where the "Craigslist Energy" Actually Lives Now
Since Craigslist is basically a graveyard for this kind of thing, where do you actually go? You go where the moderation allows for adult honesty.
- Feeld: This is the gold standard for honest, non-monogamous, or specific sexual interests. It’s what Craigslist Personals wanted to be if it had a better UI.
- Reddit (r4r): Local "Redditor for Redditor" subs are the closest thing to the old-school text-based ads. They are moderated by actual humans, which keeps the bot count lower (though not zero).
- Doublelist: This site was literally built to be a Craigslist clone. It’s been around since shortly after the 2018 shutdown. It mimics the look and feel, but with actual verification steps to try and keep the scammers at bay.
- AdultFriendFinder: It’s old, the UI is hideous, but it’s still functional and populated by people who are looking for exactly what you are.
The "lifestyle" community has mostly moved to these niche apps because they offer features Craigslist never did—like identity verification, distance-based matching that actually works, and clear community guidelines that don't get the site shut down by the FBI.
👉 See also: Pink White Nail Studio Secrets and Why Your Manicure Isn't Lasting
Safety Measures You Can't Ignore
If you somehow find a real human on a platform like Craigslist—or any of its successors—you need to be smart. This isn't just about avoiding "catfishes." It's about physical safety.
Always meet in a public place first. Always. No "come over to my place" for the first meeting. That is how people get robbed. Use a secondary phone number, like Google Voice, so you aren't giving out your real digits. And honestly? Tell a friend where you’re going. You don't have to tell them why, just give them a location and a "check-in" time.
The anonymity of Craigslist was its biggest draw, but in 2026, anonymity is a weapon used by bad actors. Real people are usually okay with a little bit of transparency to ensure everyone stays safe.
The Practical Path Forward
Stop refreshing the "Community" section on Craigslist. It’s a waste of time. You’re more likely to find a haunted dresser than a genuine hookup.
If you want to find an encounter, start by cleaning up your approach on platforms that actually support it. Write a bio that is honest but not creepy. Use recent, clear photos that aren't filtered to oblivion. Most importantly, understand that the "easy" era of Craigslist is over. Digital intimacy now requires a bit more effort and a lot more awareness of the platforms you're using.
Actionable Steps for Finding a Connection Online:
- Abandon the Ghost: Stop using Craigslist for personals; the risk-to-reward ratio is broken.
- Identify Your Goal: If you want kink, go to FetLife. If you want a quick hookup, try HUD or Tinder. If you want something specific and local, try Doublelist.
- Verify Everything: Use Google Lens to check if your match’s photos are stolen.
- Secure Your Data: Never use your primary email or phone number for initial contact on any "classified" style site.
- Public First: Treat every first encounter like a "vibe check" at a coffee shop or bar before moving to a private location.
The internet hasn't stopped being a place for sex; it just stopped using Craigslist as the storefront. By moving to dedicated platforms with modern safety features, you're not just increasing your chances of finding someone—you're making sure you don't get scammed in the process.