Q. I see a lot of online sales, like Facebook marketplace. Are there safe places I can make swaps? I also see people reporting that they got scammed from these types of sales. Under what circumstances can police get involved?
Sgt. Krisa Brass is with the Scottsbluff Police Department. She will answer questions submitted by readers each week. To submit a question for consideration, email policeinfo@scottsbluff.org.
A. There are safe places to make swaps to include the exchange spots located in the parking lot of the Scottsbluff Police Department. The parking spots are located on the south end of the parking lot and are under video monitoring. The police department added the spots with the goal of creating a safer area for people to meet while minimizing the risk of being scammed or even robbed of valuables.
The police department also encourages the use of the parking spots for child custody exchanges.
While the location is not always manned, it is under surveillance. As always, if a situation escalates or you think it may escalate, then you can always call and request an officer to standby for the exchange.
People are also reading…
The police department previously released some safety tips regarding the exchange of goods as a result of online sales that can be applied to other locations outside of the exchange spots.
Obtain the contact information from the buyer/seller
Let a friend or family member know about the planned exchange as well as when/where it will take place
Go with a friend or family member
Avoid secluded areas, such as a dark or out of sight area behind a business or other building
Pick a public meeting location, preferably during daytime hours
Take a working cell phone with you in case of an emergency
Inspect the item to make sure it is not counterfeit or damaged
Recently there have been a lot of scams on the Facebook Marketplace and local online garage sale sites. Often when a scammer contacts you about an item, they will immediately ask the seller for their phone number or email address and express urgency in collecting the item.
If you share your phone number with the scammer, they often register for a Google voice number, which triggers a verification code being sent to your phone. The scammer will then ask you for that code to verify you are a “real” person. In turn, by having that code they can unlock the Google voice number and perpetuate additional scams to include stealing your identity. It is recommended you do not communicate outside of the platform you are on.
Other online sale scams have included people selling broken items but once you get it home and figure it out their profile disappears, and they are never to be found again. Therefore, it is recommended to inspect the item prior to leaving the area of the exchange.
The police would become involved in an online scam situation if there was an actual monetary loss or reason to believe your identity may have been stolen. If you just want to report a suspicious profile you think is scamming people, the best option is to report the scam to the platform the item was listed on (usually Facebook).
If the scammer posted or commented on items in your local online garage sale sites, it is recommended to send a message to the pages administrator and make them aware of the situation in addition to reporting directly to Facebook.
Each week, Sgt. Krisa Brass of the Scottsbluff Police Department, answers questions submitted by readers. To submit a question for consideration, email policeinfo@scottsbluff.org.
Sgt. Krisa Brass is with the Scottsbluff Police Department. She will answer questions submitted by readers each week. To submit a question for consideration, email policeinfo@scottsbluff.org.
