Communities like Craigslist, OfferUp, Fb Market and others are nice for locating low- or no-cost stuff that one can choose up straight from a close-by vendor, and for eliminating helpful issues that don’t deserve to finish up in a landfill. However when coping with strangers from the Web, there may be all the time a threat that the particular person you’ve agreed to satisfy has different intentions.
Almost all U.S. states now have designated protected buying and selling stations — largely at native police departments — which be sure that all transactions are dealt with in plain view of each the authorities and safety cameras.
These protected buying and selling locations exist as a result of typically in-person transactions from the Web don’t finish properly for a number of events concerned. The web site Craigslistkillers has catalogued information hyperlinks for at the least 132 murders linked to Craigslist transactions since 2015. Many of those killings concerned high-priced objects like vehicles and client electronics, the place the potential purchaser apparently supposed all alongside to kill the proprietor and steal the merchandise provided on the market. Others had been motivated just by a want to harm folks.
This isn’t to say that utilizing Craigslist is uniquely dangerous or harmful; I’m certain the overwhelming majority of transactions generated by the location finish amicably and with out bodily violence. And that most likely holds true for all of Craigslist’s rivals.
Nonetheless, the chance of a deal going badly when one meets complete strangers from the Web isn’t zero, and so it’s solely wise to take just a few easy precautions. For instance, selecting to transact at a chosen protected place resembling a police station dramatically reduces the chance that anybody wishing you hurt would even present up.
I lately stumbled upon one among these designated trade locations accidentally, therefore my curiosity in studying extra about them. The one I encountered was at a Virginia county sheriff’s workplace, and it has two parking spots reserved with an indication that reads, “Web Buy & Alternate Location: This Space is Below 24 Hour Video Surveillance” [image above].
In accordance with the checklist maintained at Safetradestations.com, there are 4 different such designated places in Northern Virginia. And it seems most states now have them in at the least some main cities. Safeexchangepoint.com additionally has a searchable index of protected buying and selling places in the USA and Canada.
Granted, not everybody goes to stay near one among these designated buying and selling stations. Or perhaps what you need to purchase, promote or commerce you’d somewhat not have recorded in entrance of police cameras. Both approach, listed here are just a few recommendations on staying protected whereas transacting in actual life with strangers from the Web (compliments of the aforementioned protected buying and selling web sites).
The most secure trade factors are simply accessible and in a well-lit, public place the place transactions are seen to others close by. Attempt to organize a gathering time that’s throughout daytime, and contemplate bringing a pal alongside — particularly when coping with high-value objects like laptops and good telephones.
Safeexchangepoint.com additionally advises that police or retailers that host their very own trade places usually received’t become involved within the particulars of your transaction until specified in any other case, and that many police departments (however not all) are prepared to test the serial variety of an merchandise on the market to verify it’s not recognized to be stolen property.
In fact, it’s not all the time sensible or potential to haul that previous couch to the native police division, or a used automotive that isn’t working. In these conditions, safetradestations.com has some respectable ideas:
- Meet at a police station the place you may trade and photocopy every others’ identification papers, resembling a driver’s license. Do NOT carry money to this location.
- Photocopy the license or identification paper, or use your cellphone to {photograph} it.
- E mail the ID info to a pal, or to somebody trusted (to not your self).
- For those who’re promoting at house, or going to somebody’s house, by no means be outnumbered. For those who’re at house, be sure you have two or three folks there — and inform the one that is coming that you should have others with you.
- At house or an house, NEVER let somebody go wherever unaccompanied. All the time be sure they’re escorted.
- By no means let a couple of group come to your own home at one time to purchase or promote.
- Watch out for widespread scams, like checks for an quantity larger than the quantity of the deal; “cashier’s checks” which can be solid and offered when the financial institution is closed.
- In case you are given a cashier’s test, cash order or different equal, name the financial institution — on the quantity listed on-line, not a quantity the client provides you — to confirm the validity of the test.
