Hello Tipp City!   Marc the Cop here. Tipp of the Week: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!

Marc the Cop here. Happy New Year!

Here is to the future of 2024! I can't believe it's been 24 years since the Y2K (Year 2000), a fear we had that all the computers would shut down because they didn’t recognize the new century. I remember the warnings to shut your computer down before midnight.

This week for Tipp of the week, I wanted to talk about the deals we find on some social media platforms and what I call electronic classified ads like Craigslist. There are several, but I wanted to highlight Facebook Market Place and Craigslist.

First of all, let’s be very clear on something - like my mother used to say, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!” Everyone is looking for “the deal.” I am guilty of that as well. I have also taken several reports of good people getting scammed by thinking they were getting the “deal.”

My nephew was one of them. I felt terrible the poor guy got taken, but sometimes we let one of the seven deadly sins get the best of us- and that is Greed. Con men know what human buttons to push to separate you from your hard-earned money. There are also some good tips when buying and selling on these platforms.

Rule number one- only deal with people you can meet and shake hands with. Use good common sense and trust your instincts. The best place to meet to exchange merchandise is the parking lot of the police station. Many police departments have a designated area of their public parking lot for such exchanges. The Dayton Police Department, for example, has signs posted for their Safe Exchange Zone.

Do not meet alone - have a relative or friend accompany you.

If you are not doing cash sales or purchasing, some people use Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal to pay for items, which I find extremely handy. Be sure you are getting what you paid for.

Some scammers will give a sense of urgency to get you to pay in advance for the item. Then they don’t show up for the meeting or the item isn’t described. Do a little research on your seller. Marketplace has a rating for some sellers. Look up the seller's profile; if it is a new one, that can be a sign that this may be a scam.

I would recommend never sending any funds without confirming your seller is real. If the seller is pressuring you to send money with the thought that it will be sold before you can get it, then maybe you should just be safer than sorry. Most people will not pressure you to purchase. I’ve made some great purchases from Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, but you have to be aware of your surroundings and research before meeting up.

That is all for this week! Please be safe, care for one another, and I'll see you in church on Sunday!

Sgt. Marc Basye (Ret.)

The opinions and statements in this column are those of the author and are not affiliated with any law enforcement agency. This column is for entertainment purposes only. Persons referred to may be fictional for comedic purposes only.