Online classifieds are convenient but sketchy — the websites themselves will tell you so.
Craigslist warns users of common scams, and Offer Up advises buyers and sellers to meet in public places, such as police stations.
Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui thinks that's a good idea, too.
Her bill, Assembly Bill 297, would create "e-commerce exchange zones" at law-enforcement offices throughout the state.
“So, in each county, city or township, they must designate one sheriff’s station or police station as an e-commerce exchange zone where people can go and feel comfortable and safe making their exchange," she said.
Jauregui said she wrote the bill after hearing from the family of a young man who was killed while trying to sell his iPhone. The assemblywoman herself had a bad Craigslist experience after buying $400 concert tickets that turned out to be fake.
She believes people will be less likely to commit a crime in front of a police station or sheriff's office. And if a buyer or seller is unwilling to meet at an e-commerce zone, that should be a red flag that something is not right, she said.
Jauregui wanted to make it clear that while the zones will be safer than a lot of other options, not all of them will be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which is why they're called "e-commerce zones" and not "safe zones."
If Gov. Brian Sandoval signs the bill, which he is expected to do, it will go into effect in September.
Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui