Suffolk residents buying or selling items through an online marketplace this holiday season can complete their in-person transactions in a safe zone established by Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon.
The sheriff’s office has created “safe transaction zones” outside the sheriff’s offices in Riverhead and Yaphank to help protect citizens from theft and assault associated with social media marketplace and other transactions.
The safe transaction zones are located at the sheriff’s Office at 100 Center Drive in Riverhead, and at the Yaphank Facility at 202 Glover Drive. Both are clearly marked with red and white signs and are in full view of on-duty Deputy Sheriffs.
Residents are encouraged to use the marked areas as a place to meet for in-person exchanges of online purchases, the sheriff’s office said in a press release announcing the safe transaction zones. Residents should use the area during daylight hours and will not have to schedule an appointment with the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff’s deputies will not participate in the exchanges or act as official witnesses in transactions. Most purchase agreements and transactions are civil matters. However, with deputies nearby, the area will be safer for buyers and sellers.
The sheriff provided safety tips to keep in mind when conducting such transactions:
• 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 the sheriff’s safe transaction zones
• 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 someone is not willing to come to the sheriff’s office to do a transaction it is probably not a legitimate transaction.
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