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Gatineau police say they’ve gotten a string of complaints from people who’ve been victims of theft after meeting up for deals set up on sales sites including Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji.
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One victim was pepper sprayed as their assailant fled, the force said Monday, offering tips for safe selling and buying. Gatineau police are also looking into setting up safe exchange zones.
In four of five recent incidents, the thief contacted the victim to buy an item — usually an electronic device — and the pair arranged an outdoor meeting. When the seller arrived, the purported buyer claimed to be running late or still at an ATM getting cash. The thief then arrived, handed the seller an apparently full envelope and fled as the seller discovered it was full of paper or tissues.
The fifth incident was a bait and switch in which the victim arranged to buy an iPhone, was shown the phone and paid after being handed the original iPhone box, then realized the box didn’t contain the phone, police said.
In all cases, the thief then blocked the victim on the site or stopped responding.
Police warned people using online sales sites to check out a buyer or seller first, to be wary of new profiles or those giving few details, and to set up meetings in public places at busy times.
Sellers should make sure payment is valid before handing over an item. Buyers should be suspicious of prices that are too good to be true, ask questions, and request…
