Sell your stuff without getting robbed

If a seller or buyer won’t meet you at a police station that should be a bit of a red flag.

July 27, 2015; 12:37 PM • by Richard Hayes

A VCU student and part-time employee of the VCU Police came up with the brilliant idea of providing a safe place for individuals to complete Craigslist and other sales. You don’t need to be a student or staff member of VCU to take advantage of this service so now you can safely sell that complete set of Hardee’s Garfield juice glasses you’ve been hoarding.

SELLSAFE: People nationwide have been scammed, and robbed, after trying to sell items on Craigslist and similar websites. Due to this, and the popularity of these sites, VCU Police is now offering a safe space for sales and exchanges. The department encourages students, faculty and staff to meet potential buyers and sellers at VCU Police headquarters. A current Virginia Commonwealth University student, who is also a part-time employee at VCU Police, had the idea for this initiative. While the websites themselves are not dangerous – criminals will use the sites to scam and victimize others.

VCU Police headquarters is located at 938 W. Grace St. The facility is staffed 24 hours each day and the lobby is air conditioned and open to the public. Entry for the lobby is marked with a flashing yellow light on the emergency phone box outside. Remember, if you are selling or buying an item online, and the buyer or seller won’t meet you at VCU Police headquarters, something may be wrong. No prior reservations need to be made with VCU Police in order to meet in our lobby.