Truro Police Department Designate Two "Online Safe Zones" for completing online transactions in person
Online Safe Exchange Zone
The Truro Police Department is pleased to announce two designated areas as “Online Safe Exchange Zone” for buyers and sellers utilizing websites like Craigslist to buy and sell items.
If you're completing an online transaction, you can make the exchange in the lobby of the Police Station or in the parking lot on the south side of the Truro Public Safety Facility. While we recommend that these transactions take place during daytime hours, the lot is well-lit if you need to meet after dark. Also, the lot has video surveillance on at all times.
The idea on the "Online Safe Exchange Zone" is to provide a safer place for exchanges and reduce potential fraud or robberies which can be associated with these types of transactions. While available for you to use to complete your exchange, our personnel may not participate or act as official witnesses in the transactions. Further, Police personnel are unable to give legal advice or allowed to settle disputes between parties involved in transactions occurring at this location.
Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind when conducting such transactions:
- Only do transactions with local buyers/sellers
- Do not go to a transaction alone
- Make sure a friend or family member is aware of the transaction details
- Insist on meeting in a public area like our safe transaction zone
- Do not go into someone else’s house, and do not allow them into yours
- Complete the transaction during daylight hours
- Be extra cautious when buying or selling valuable items such as vehicles and jewelry
- Only use cash or money orders to complete your transactions
- Trust your instincts, if it sounds like a scam it probably is
- If somebody is not willing to come to the police department to do a transaction it is probably not a legitimate transaction.