Police: Be Safe, Smart When Using Craigslist

ST. CLOUD - A Minneapolis man says he was recently pepper sprayed in the face and had his car stolen. He says he used Craigslist to try and sell the vehicle and agreed to meet a man to show him the car.

Crimes similar to this are on the rise, and it has police reminding you to be careful when agreeing to meet strangers.

John Justin is the Crime Prevention Specialist at the St. Cloud Police Department. He says you should do some research about the person you're going to meet.

I've always suggested to try and get as much information as you can about the person. If you can obtain a first name, last name, an approximate date of birth we have all those public records and officials sites. You can tell if you're dealing with a person that's got convictions for violent crimes.

Justin also reminds you to meet in a public place where other people are around, tell a friend where you're going, and bring your cell phone with you.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau earlier this year issued a warning to people using Craigslist to sell vehicles to consider face-to-face transactions in locations that are brightly lit and highly public.