Area police departments offer places buyers and sellers can meet to safely make purchases from online sites such as Craigslist.
MASSILLON, Ohio — Eight in 10 Americans participate in online shopping, according to a 2016 Pew Research study.
When it comes to online sales transactions from sites like Craigslist, OfferUp and Facebook, it’s hard to know who is on the other side of the screen. Area police departments have created safe spaces where residents can go to make these kinds of sales.
The Massillon Police Department posted on its Facebook page about the new safe space last month. Signs have been posted outside of the Massillon Municipal Courthouse, 2 James Duncan Plaza, to let buyers and sellers know the area is under video surveillance. The location can be used at any time because the parking lot is well lit.
“We kind of followed suit with a lot of other cities who have done this,” said Lt. Jason Saintenoy. “Ever since Craigslist has become so popular for a marketplace to sell used and new items, criminals have taken opportunity to prey on people that way.”
MPD receives free kit from app
Police Chief Keith Moser said the department put up the signs after a phone app called OfferUp contacted them. OfferUp has similar features to Craigslist, but works to make the transactions as safe as possible.
The app features a program called TruYou, which gives users verified “badges” if they upload a photo of themselves and a form of identification. When two users agree to make a transaction through this app, it brings up a list of safe spaces between their two locations — a new feature added to the app this year.
OfferUp has partnered with police departments across the nation, sending kits to departments that designate a given area a “safe space.”
The Massillon Police Department received one of these kits free of charge. Moser said the new safe space doesn’t require any maintenance or extra resources, making it a win-win for the department and the community.
“I thought it was a pretty good idea wth all the horror stories you hear with some of these Craigslist things,” Moser said. “It’s already being videotaped. It’s already being monitored. It was a no-brainer.”
The kit required very little effort to get the safe space set up. The police department put the signs in place and let the app know the location is monitored 24/7, well lit and has indoor and outdoor access.
More area safe spaces coming
Beach City Police Chief Curt Gipe said his department is already under video surveillance, and donated signs will be placed outside of the building soon. In Canal Fulton, Police Chief Doug Swartz said the department will be discussing purchasing cameras and creating a safe space at Thursday’s City Council meeting.
The Jackson Township Police Department does not have a safe space set up at its department. Police Chief Mark Brink said public locations are the safest locations for residents — anyone is welcome to use the township’s Safety Center as a meeting point.
“It’s definitely paramount to utilize technology in any way we can to keep our citizens safe,” Swartz said. “If something doesn’t sound right, back off of it. Money isn’t worth your safety for selling an item.”
Swartz said more people are participating in local buying and selling online marketplaces, making these spaces essential to keeping residents safe. He urged residents to be cautious when making online purchases, stating that Craigslist is almost synonymous to dangerous after precarious transactions made headlines.
Be cautious of the risk factor
Craigslist transactions can go wrong in many ways — some more dangerous than others.
“It’s amazing to see the thought that these criminals are using to turn technology against victims,” Swartz said. “We just have to try to stay one step ahead of them and educate our citizens and keep them informed of potential scams that they can be involved in.”
More than 100 murders have been linked to Craigslist advertisements, according to research from the Advanced Interactive Media Group in 2016.
In 2011, Timothy Kern, 47, of Jackson Township, was lured to his death when he went to answer a Craigslist ad promising $300 a week to “watch over a 688-acre patch of hilly farmland” in rural southern Ohio. Richard Beasley, of Summit County, was sentenced to death in 2013 for the murder of Kern and two other men.
Early this year in January, the Stark County Sheriff’s Office investigated an incident where a man was assaulted during a prearranged meeting in response to a Craigslist ad for a cellphone. A dispute broke out between the two and the seller attempted to rob the victim at gunpoint.
Less severe cases, however, are more common with Craigslist and other internet sales marketplaces.
On Aug. 19, a Jackson Township resident received a check in the mail for $4,980 in response to a piano he had for sale on Craigslist. Shortly after depositing the check, the bank informed him it was counterfeit. Fortunately, the man had not yet shipped the piano.
Saintenoy also said the Massillon Police Department investigated the theft of several ATVs and dirt bikes. A Massillon resident who claimed to be interested in the motor vehicles asked to take one on a test drive. Instead, he sped off with it.
If something about the other person or the item doesn’t seem right, police officials urge people to trust their instincts and back away from the seller or buyer.
“Any time you do a transaction with a stranger ... you could be victimized,” Saintenoy said. “If you’re going to partake in selling things, you want to do it in the safest possible manner, which is where the safe spots come in. They tilt the odds in your favor of it being a good and safe transaction.”
About OfferUp’s MeetUp Spot Program
OfferUp is the largest and fastest growing mobile marketplace for buyers and sellers in the country. With millions of users using our app to buy and sell every day, the safety of our community is a top priority. We are committed to exploring new ways to ensure buyers and sellers have a successful experience. That’s why we’re excited to announce our new MeetUp Spot program: we will fund the installation of a designated MeetUp Spot at any qualifying police station in the US that wants to participate.