Finding Apartments II - Craigslist Scams

I'm a big fan of Craigslist - I've bought a bike, a bookshelf, and a rain barrel through it; I've also found piano students through it. But so far it's been terrible for finding an apartment in Paris. Out of seven emails I've sent, five or six have come back as probable scams. How do I know they're scams? I don't, really. But the below apartment should not be listed at 800 euro, and the owner should probably be in town if he really wants to rent me the place.

More interesting is the pattern that I've noticed in emails I've received back from inquiries. Check out this one, which is downright scary:

Some of this information seems relevant to someone renting their apartment, but address? religion? how many months can you pay upfront? Seriously???

The pattern becomes even more obvious with this next email:

Now, Maggie and I don't want anyone accusing us of being anti-West African missionaries. But surely you'll agree that there's something fishy about all of these appartements chouettes that are surprisingly cheap being rented out by people who 1) can't be around to show you the place, 2) have recently moved to West Africa, and 3) don't care when you move in/represent the apartment as always available.

In conclusion:

1. If the price is too good to be true, it's probably not true.
2. Stick to French-language sites (like pap.fr or fusac.org).
3. NEVER agree to send a deposit without having had someone see the apartment for you.
4. Consider finding your place through an agency (which will charge a fee), which saves you the trouble of figuring out which ads are scams and which are legitimate.