7 Precautions You Can Take When Making Online Purchases

From the Anchorage Police Department, here are some precautions to take when making purchases online:

• Never go to the meet alone. Have at least one other person with you. Make sure another individual, who is not with you, knows where you are, what you are doing, and any details you have about the other party you are meeting.
• Meet in a public place that has cameras and a lot of foot traffic such as a superstore parking lot.
• Meet during a busy time of day – not late at night or early in the morning when there are not many other people around.
• If the party you are meeting arrives in a vehicle, jot down the license plate and a description of the vehicle.
• Pay attention to the physical attributes of the people you are meeting with in case you need to give a detailed description of them to the police later.
• Only deal in cash. Checks and cashier checks can easily be forged. Pay attention to the money you accept. Make sure it looks and feels the way money should.
• Should you be threatened, follow the instructions of the suspect(s), leave the area as soon as possible, and call 9-1-1 as quickly as you can.