The Winnipeg Police Service is investigating multiple robberies connected to online classified ads and is reminding people to stay vigilant.
“Our major crime unit has seen a number of them in the last while,” said Const. Rob Carver, Winnipeg Police Service, adding that police don’t believe the robberies are connected, but may be indicative of a trend.
“I think there is a street level discussion about, ‘Well, I just picked up 500 bucks yesterday because this idiot who thought he was buying my phone came with the money, and now I have the money,’” said Carver. He also said the incidents aren’t connected to a single specific website or service.
Police said online classifieds give criminals the chance to stay anonymous and “take advantage of unsuspecting buyers and sellers,” and there are a number of measures people can take to prevent being victimized, such as meeting the seller in a public place.
“Meet in the food court of a mall, meet in a coffee shop so that if the person is looking to potentially rob you, and the robberies that we’ve had reported haven’t been violent, but they’re less likely to happen when there’s a large number of people around,” said Carver. “We know that enhances public safety.”
Police shared this list of tips for people buying or selling online:
- Ask for a photo of the serial number before meeting and attempt to confirm the item hasn't been reported stolen
- Don’t give out personal information
- Google the buyer/sellers name
- Ask about the history of the item being sold
- Meet during daylight hours
- Make arrangements to meet in the public place equipped with surveillance cameras
- Do not transfer/provide money to the person before receiving the product
- Do not meet someone alone
- Use generic photos
- Follow your gut - if something feels wrong, it probably is (Source: Winnipeg Police Service.)
