This notice by the Reading, PA, Police Department identifies a smart option for people selling items to unknown individuals as a result of online transactions. In the Beaufort, Hilton Head, and Bluffton, South Carolina areas, Private Investigation Services Group recommends similar police or sheriff stations or sub-stations, fire houses, or other public safety locations as way to avoid the connection with the seller’s home address. If possible, the transaction should also be witnessed by a trusted party.
You can read the entire article at Patch.com.
READING, MA — The Reading Police Department has set up a safe meeting spot for community members to complete online transactions. Residents who would like to use the service may go to the police station, 15 Union St., to meet a buyer or seller.
The designated Internet Exchange Safe Zone is located in the station’s parking lot. Transactions may also be completed in the station lobby.
By using the police station as a meet up location between a buyer and seller, residents do not have to share their address with a stranger or meet a stranger at their home. While Reading police cannot guarantee the quality or authenticity of items residents purchase online, the online transaction safe zone provides residents with a secure and public spot to complete a sale.
“Though the internet has become a popular place for people to connect and exchange items, we know that residents still value personal privacy and safety,” Deputy Chief David Clark said in a statement. “The Internet Exchange Safe Zone is under video surveillance at all times and the Reading police station is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week to give residents peace of mind and a safe place to complete their online transactions.”
Reading police advise residents to take a friend or family member with them to a meet-up and conduct transactions during the day.