The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents that it maintains a designated internet purchase exchange location for people completing online transactions.
The office said the site is under 24/7 video surveillance and staffed by around-the-clock security personnel. Officials described the area as a safe, neutral place for buyers and sellers to meet and said it can also be used for child custody exchanges.
The sheriff’s office encouraged residents to use the location rather than meet strangers at unfamiliar places. The reminder was posted on the department’s Facebook page and was signed by Sheriff Eddie Hawkins.
Many law enforcement agencies offer similar exchange locations to help reduce the risk of theft, fraud and confrontation associated with in-person transfers arranged online. Residents who plan to buy or sell items through online marketplaces are advised to use monitored public locations and take other common-sense precautions. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
