Many people
are turning to social media to find goods and services and even love.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind users of social media applications and sites to use caution when meeting other people for social encounters or when buying or selling goods.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind users of social media applications and sites to use caution when meeting other people for social encounters or when buying or selling goods.
CCSO offers
these safety tips for meeting someone through social media:
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- Be cognizant
that individuals may not be who they represent themselves to be.
- Before you
meet, take screenshots of the other person’s profile information, photo and
your text conversations.
- Trust your
instincts
- Don’t go
alone; bring a friend
- Insist on
meeting at a public place like a café, bank or shopping center. If the person
you are meeting doesn’t want to meet in a public place, that’s a sign he or she
could have bad intentions.
- Try to meet
during the day
- Do not meet
in a secluded area or invite strangers into your home
- Be
especially careful buying/selling high-value items
- Tell a
friend or family member where you’re going
- Take a cell
phone along, if you have one
- Be very
cautious about how you intend to pay, or accept payment for an item. If someone
knows you will be bringing a sizeable amount of cash or a valuable item, it may
make you more susceptible to being victimized.
- Providing
payment or accepting payment in a method that is not secure and insured can
result in the permanent loss of your money. Unlike a storefront or verified
online company, you may only meet a person once or never at all. If something
goes wrong, it may not be possible to identify or hold the suspect accountable.
