The City of Stirling launched a new Safer Exchange Site this week in Mount Lawley, offering a monitored, well-lit location for people to safely buy, sell or trade goods arranged through popular online platforms like Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree.

The initiative comes amid alarming trends reported by Scamwatch, a platform run by the National Anti-Scam Centre that collects scam reports and alerts the public.

“The most reported contact method leading to financial loss was social media, and more people lost money in 2024 than in 2023,” a Scamwatch spokesperson told the Western Independent. 

The most common scam category was shopping, with over 10,000 Australians reporting losses totalling nearly $10 million in 2024. 

The latest data also shows older Australians remain the most vulnerable. 

“People aged 65 and over had the highest reported losses of $99.6 million, 31.3% of all losses reported to Scamwatch, despite making up only 17.2% of the population,” Scamwatch said.

The concept isn’t new, after a successful trial in 2022 Victoria Police has set up 35 monitored Safer Exchange Zones across regional and metro areas. Inspired by their success, the City of Stirling has launched a 12-month trial to see if the model can offer West Australians similar peace of mind.

A 26-year-old renter from Perth’s south, Ms Wakelin (who asked for her first name to be withheld due to the nature of the crime), knows just how vulnerable these transactions can make people.

“In July 2022, my home was broken into and burgled after a fake profile on Facebook Marketplace posed as an interested buyer for an item my housemate had listed,” she says.

Ms Wakelin, who had just turned 23 at the time, was asleep in bed when the burglary happened.

“The detective assigned to my case confirmed that the Marketplace profile involved belonged to a known criminal organisation who had committed several similar offences in my area, specifically targeting dirt bikes.” 

The night before the burglary, she remembers a strange interaction with a man who came to the house to view dirt bike accessories.

“He asked personal questions like what I was doing that night and whether I lived there alone. Although the detectives were adamant this incident was unrelated to the burglary, it felt far too strange and unsettling to be a coincidence,” she says.

The communication with the scammer and her housemate appeared friendly and normal, but the emotional fallout was anything but.

“This experience has impacted my sense of safety more than I can express. It caused me to pack up and move out of my home, I couldn’t even step into my old bedroom without feeling terrified,” she says.

“I’ve endured countless sleepless nights, waking up in sweats at the slightest sound, repeatedly checking that all doors and windows are locked.”

Ms Wakelin still experiences ongoing hyper-vigilance and anxiety, often pacing around her home during the day to check for intruders. Even on holidays, she found herself inspecting accommodation for escape routes and potential hiding spots, behaviours that have since become part of her daily routine.

The terrifying experience has put Ms Wakelin off online selling entirely and feels uneasy when friends and family continue to use Facebook Marketplace. However, she says the Mount Lawley Safer Exchange Site gives her a sense of reassurance. 

“My basic understanding of the site leaves me feeling more comfortable with exchanging second-hand items. I’ve been to in-person thrift events in the past and it’s definitely a much safer way to sell or purchase things,” she says.

The designated site is monitored by 24-hour CCTV and marked with signage, aiming to reduce the risks of face-to-face exchanges between strangers who meet online.

Nollamara resident Joyce Osborne, 80, shares similar feelings. While she and her family regularly use Facebook Marketplace, she remains wary, particularly when dealing with high-value items. 

Recently, Ms Osborne’s daughter considered selling a motorised scooter but hesitated due to safety concerns.

“How do you stop someone from taking the scooter and just driving off?”

“There is no safety in someone coming to your home with a motorised thing. It’s not an easy handover,” she says. 

Ms Osborne’s concerns also involve jewellery, as she hesitated when her brother suggested selling her late sister-in-law’s rings online.

“We thought maybe we’d meet at a coffee shop, but then I don’t know. Are we safe? You know, I don’t really know,” she says.

The new Mount Lawley site is only a short drive away for Ms Osborne. For future transactions, she says it will absolutely be her preferred location for handovers as it poses as a safer option. 

“It’s just nice to see that people are thinking in that direction, let’s say.”

According to WA ScamNet, over 1,300 Western Australians reported losses totalling nearly $22 million in 2023, a 36 per cent increase from the previous year. 

More than 400 people lost money through buy and sell scams on classified sites, with Facebook Marketplace accounting for 163 victims and $116,500 in reported losses.

Nationwide, Australians lost around $95 million to social media scams in 2023, a staggering 249 per cent increase from 2020, according to Scamwatch. National Australia Bank also reported a 78 per cent spike in ‘buying and selling’ scams in late 2023.