MIDLAND, Texas — At the Midland Police Department, every day they're receiving information on more and more scams happening to people here locally.
"Our telephone response unit receives, on average, three calls a day in reference to some form of a scam," said Chane Blandford, Midland police officer in the Crime Prevention Community Relations Division.
One scam that they see involves scammers taking a buyers money when they buy something online. This is why they advise buyers to meet face to face before purchasing anything.
"If they’re not willing to meet with you face to face, then don’t even bother trying to purchase it," said Blandford. "If you cannot meet face to face, don't purchase it. If you cannot hand cash over, don’t purchase it."
If you're scared to meet in person with someone, the city has safe exchange zones set up to make safe transactions. One is even located in the southwest parking lot of the police station.
"You can park there and you can purchase or sell your item with the other person, there’s video cameras all around," said Blandford. "There’s officers all around, so it’s probably one of the safest, best places to do a transaction."
Let's say what you're picking up is too big, so you have to meet at someone's home. Well MPD advises not going alone.
"Take somebody with you whenever you go to these locations, that way you have somebody with you," said Blandford. "You have a witness and you somebody with a cellphone that can call for help."
However, if you do run into someone scamming you out of your money for a product you bought online, it may be too late to get help locally.
"If it does happen, their best bet is to contact a federal agency because on a local level our hands are tied," said Blandford. "We can’t do anything because a majority of the time this money goes overseas."