As online shopping services continue to boom, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office is offering its building as a safe transaction zone for residents looking for a place to complete sales.

The sheriff’s office shared a release on Friday, urging the Orange County community to be cautious in the wake of Andy Banks’ murder. The 39-year-old Raleigh man met someone interested in buying his vehicle and was later found dead in Virginia after meeting the potential buyer for a test drive.

Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood recognizes such online transactions can be convenient, according to his office, but often pose safety risks to both buyers and sellers when meeting in-person. To help provide a safe place for exchanges, he established the office off East Margaret Lane in Hillsborough as a safe transaction zone in 2015.

“We invited the public to take advantage of the office lobby or parking lot as a meeting place for this type of transaction,” said Blackwood in Friday’s release. “It is a very popular service.”

Blackwood said at the request of a buyer or seller, a sheriff’s deputy can be available to observe the meet-up to provide a better sense of security.

“Additionally,” he added in the release, “at the request of either party, we will check serial numbers to determine whether any item appears in the State of North Carolina or national databases of stolen property.”

The sheriff’s office also included safety tips for people meeting others while either picking up or dropping off items. Authorities encourage community members to avoid meeting strangers at private residences and instead requesting a public place, especially ones with video surveillance. People also should not complete the transaction alone and should be wary of transactions that involve large amounts of cash.

Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

 

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