Personal safety

Some important information about personal safety.

The vast majority of people using our website are trustworthy and well-meaning. However, millions of violent crimes occur in the U.S. each year: 10,000+ homicides, 600,000+ robberies, 5 million assaults. However, few of these are online classifieds-related. Please take the same common sense precautions online as you would offline. When meeting someone for the first time, please remember to:

  • Insist on a public meeting place like a cafe, bank, or shopping center
  • Do not meet in a secluded place, or invite strangers into your home
  • Be especially careful buying/selling high value items
  • Tell a friend or family member where you’re going
  • Take your cell phone along if you have one
  • Consider having a friend accompany you
  • Trust your instincts

Taking these simple precautions helps make our classifieds website safer for everyone.


For more information about personal safety online, check out these resources:

Please review our Online safety page as well.