Lee's Summit, MO and Overland Park, KS

How to protect yourself when making Craigslist transactions: officers from two up and running safe zones reiterate tips for online buyers

Many police departments, including Lee's Summit, encourage transactions in their parking lot or lobby. Overland Park Officer Richard Breshears says their lobby is open to the public 24/7, but bad things can happen anywhere.

"If you have nowhere else to go and you don't feel comfortable meeting this person offline and exchanging property, feel free to come by our department and use our facilities," says Breshears. "We would like to believe that it's highly unlikely, or less likely, to occur on a property that belongs to the police department where there are officers on the scene 24 hours a day, but it could happen."

If you can't make it to a police station, be wary. See if a friend or family member can tag along. If all else fails, trust your gut. And if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.