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Locally in our city of Victoria where The White Hatter studio is located there have been some concerning robberies involving buying and selling used PlayStations, ending in a robbery at gunpoint. Here are some safety tips we would like to share to stay safe buying and selling used

As for the story that prompted this. At least two active robberies and a few buyers reported also having a planned meeting with someone at the exact same location to buy a used PlayStation. When the buyer connected with the seller, instead of a PlayStation, the seller pulled a gun on the buyer and stole the cash intended to buy the item.

I love online used shopping, there are great deals. If you are looking to build a good gaming computer, you can get used yet still powerful only a few years old parts for cheap.

If you are buying or selling something online here are some safety tips to think about

Meet sellers and buyers in brightly lit, public places with people around, that are likely to have surveillance cameras, like a shopping mall, public library, or public building. The stories that sparked this video the places were residential areas with little public traffic.

Conduct the financial transaction by e-transfer instead of carrying cash. If the objective is to rob you as a buyer, cash is what they are looking for, an e-transfer is traceable

Bring a friend or family member with you. Safety in numbers has always been a great safety tool

If a deal is too good, consider its legitimacy. This does not mean it is a scam. There are situations when sellers need money quick and will sell items very cheaply.

Do not give out personal or banking information such as a social insurance number, bank account number or address over the internet.

Some local police detachments have emphasized it is totally cool to transact the trade or sale in front of their building or lobby. Some cities have even setup by and sell exchange zone

Also consider the platform you are buying from, some local buy-and-sell websites, account setup and verification only need an active email. It us super easy to make a hypnotically unlimited accounts with simple temporary email generators.

Services like Facebook Marketplace might be ideal. As generally, folks buying and selling are using their personal Facebook account. Although not impossible to setup a fake Facebook account, given Meta’s datamining and profiling activity it’s a bit more challenging. Plus, there is some social pressure to make fair and not scammy trades.

Then if something does go wrong, get yourself to a safe place, and call 911.

Buying used is a great way to save money and reduce trash. But use some common sense and stay safe.