Yup. Be careful of sketchy neighborhoods.
Do your homework and Google an address first before you stop there to complete a transaction.
Although I guess that there are sketchy neighborhoods in Lenexa, generally it is an upscale suburban location. My guess is that the marks were told to go what the bad guys knew to be a vacant house and then they showed up and robbed them. Evil.
I am not sure that was a particularly bad neighborhood. Sometimes good deals can be found in the low rent district. They have stuff to sell, too. Odds of crime are higher, though. But if you flip it around and YOU are the seller, you get what you get.
I have googled buyers and sellers before, just to be sure. It has always been perfectly fine. That is a good idea.
Always meet the people at a public location................