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Greensboro Police Video Warns Of Craigslist Transaction Dangers

Police are warning the public about the dangers of Craigslist transactions, and offering tips to keep you safe, in a new YouTube video. 

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Police are warning the public about the dangers of Craigslist transactions, and offering tips to keep you safe, in a new YouTube video.

Greensboro police announced the video, "Don't Let This Be You - Craigslist," in a news release Friday morning.

In the video, police walk viewers through two scenarios that came directly from Greensboro police reports.

In the first, a woman agrees to sell her cell phone in a public parking lot. When she meets the buyer in that parking lot, the suspect steals her phone and runs from the scene.

The second scenario involves a man buying a cell phone in another public parking lot. The buyer calls him and asks for the color and model of his car. The buyer then calls another person, gives them the victim's vehicle information, and uses that to find and rob the man.

Police say the city of Greensboro saw a 13-percent increase in Craigslist-related robberies from 2014 to 2015. There was also a 33-percent increase in fraud cases, dealing with obtaining property by false pretense.

Police created the video, with the help of North Carolina A&T student Charlotte Jones, to help combat those spikes.

Police say the best way to keep yourself from becoming the victim of a Craigslist robbery, is to meet at police headquarters. It's located at 320 Federal Pl. and is open 24/7.

“If someone refuses to meet you at a police station, then that is a sign that they may have had bad intentions for you,” Officer E.Y. Watkins said in the news release. “You should always put your personal safety first and foremost when making transactions from Craigslist -- and trust your instincts.”

Police say you should also avoid making a transaction by yourself; take someone with you, if you can. Also, be sure to let friends and family know when and where you plan to meet a buyer or seller.

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