The Denville Police Department would like to inform our residents of two recent thefts that have occurred involving the use of Facebook Marketplace. In each case, the victim posted a vehicle for sale and a day or two later the vehicles were stolen from the victim’s residence. We want everyone to be vigilant and understand that criminals have various means of finding your address when you post items for sale on the internet and to take all reasonable precautions when doing so. You should be especially careful when posting any photographs to ensure that they do not help someone identify where you live or where the item for sale may be kept/stored.
There are various ways that criminals may try to scam you on Facebook Marketplace and other online buy/sell/trade forums. The following are some ways that you can help protect yourself from the online scammers: only deal with local buyers/sellers whenever possible; avoid sharing personal information unless absolutely necessary; use secure payment methods like PayPal or cash-on-delivery; inspect products in person before providing payment; be suspicious of deals that appear too good to be true; check comments under listings for warnings from other users; and report suspicious listings, buyers, or sellers to the page’s administration.
Also, as a reminder, there is a designated parking stall in the front of police headquarters for people to use when buying or selling items online. This parking stall is monitored by surveillance video and is intended for you to have a safe place to make your exchange.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping to keep Denville a safe and secure community to live, work, and play. If you should happen to become a victim to an online scam, or any other offense, please make sure to contact us and report it.
