NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) — With the holidays fast approaching, officers from the Norfolk Police Department is warning those who are buying items online from strangers, via popular websites like Craigslist, OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace.
“It could go bad,” said Community Affairs Officer Samuel Nellum. “You’re inviting a total stranger that you do not know into your home and it could go bad.”
Nellum advised anyone who plans on meeting up with a stranger to buy or sell goods needs to meet in a well-lit, public area.
The Norfolk Police Department has three “Safe Exchange Zones” located at three different police precincts.
- First Patrol Division – 3661 E. Virginia Beach Blvd.
- Second Patrol Division – 2500 N. Military Hwy.
- Third Patrol Division – 901 Ashbury Ave.
“It makes a citizen feel comfortable, knowing they can do a transaction and know that they can pull into the police department where there’s constantly police traffic going to and from the building,” said Nellum.
While the City of Norfolk had 13 robberies this year related to online meetup transactions, overall robberies decreased 10 percent compared to 2017.
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