With online deals comes the risk of becoming the victim of a crime

When you purchase an item on Craigslist, Facebook or other site, you're inadvertently buying something you didn't bargain for: the risk of becoming the victim of a crime.

In 2015, a Somerville man was sentenced to 13 years in state prison for the knife-point robbery of a buyer responding to the lure of cheap Apple products on Craigslist. Earlier this year, an Ocean County man was allegedly robbed - also at knifepoint - when he climbed into the car of a man claiming to be selling an iPhone.

And last month, an exchange went fatally wrong when 20-year-old Danny Diaz-Delgado was ambushed in a Trenton alley, where he had gone to buy a video game player that he'd seen advertised on Facebook Marketplace.

Now Trenton City Council members have joined a growing number of public-safety officials from municipalities around the state and the country in fighting back.

They are establishing an internet safe exchange zone, a place where residents can complete transactions that originate on digital marketplaces without fear of harm. An area behind City Hall on East State Street will be set aside for these transactions, with enhanced lighting and security cameras.

Councilman Duncan Harrison helped launch the project, which had the support of Trenton Police Director Ernest Parrey, Jr. and Mayor Eric Jackson.

The overwhelming majority of online commercial interactions are legitimate. But the Huffington Post reported an alarming statistic in 2016: Some 45 Craigslist-related killings took place between 2009 and 2014.

It's not really that surprising, with the online giant reporting 50 billion page-views per month - 60 million in the United States alone.

Police departments in New Jersey have gotten wise to the evils that accompany the trend, with communities such as Robbinsville, Penns Grove and Brick specifying safe-exchange locations in or near police stations or town halls.

In Bordentown Township, for example, buyers and sellers are encouraged to handle their transactions in the lobby of the municipal building, which is well-lighted and monitored by surveillance cameras around the clock.

Oddly, the state's largest cities have been slow to come on board. So, it comes as welcome news that Trenton has taken this important step to help keep residents safe.

Police say there also are common-sense measures consumers can take to keep themselves from becoming victims when they're dealing with strangers in the e-marketplace.

Always insist on meeting in a public area during daylight hours. Don't go into a transaction by yourself. Be sure a friend or family member knows where you're going. And never enter a stranger's house - or let a stranger enter yours.

As long as there is internet commerce, there will be internet criminals. With a little common sense and some help from your local cops, you should be okay.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.