‘Consider the risks’: Victoria Police take bold steps to combat violent encounters on Facebook marketplaces with new ‘exchange zones’

Police launched the zones after noticing an alarming increase in robberies, thefts and attacks on online marketplaces.

The increase in violent encounters in the market peaked in 2020 before COVID lockdowns, with police finding smartphones were the most common valuable item stolen.

Earlier this year, detectives arrested a pair who allegedly pulled off an elaborate scam that saw an unsuspecting woman captured.

Police allege a man and woman arranged a meeting with an unsuspecting Facebook seller last month.

The woman sold a luxury designer handbag worth thousands of dollars online.

Officers learned that during the meeting, while the female ‘buyer’ was inspecting the bag, a man suddenly approached the woman and assaulted the woman inspecting the item before stealing the handbag and fleeing.

In a cruel twist, police claim the female buyer and the man knew each other and the robbery was staged.

The couple then allegedly sold the bag and shared the profits.

Commander Tim Tully said the use of online marketplaces has increased in popularity, with police determined to “lead the way to ensure an emerging crime theme does not become an embedded trend”.

“While these locations are a safer alternative to meeting someone in your home or in a dimly lit area without CCTV, we still encourage people to consider the risks of meeting a person they have never met before ” said Commander Tully.

“Police suggest meeting during the day if possible and taking someone with you to the exchange.”

The launch of these sharing sites follows a successful trial that began in mid-2022 at select 24-hour police stations in Melbourne’s north-east.

During the six-month trial, police found that people regularly exchanged times and that thefts and robberies related to online sales decreased in those areas.