Police have issued a warning after several people were robbed while attempting to sell their phones through Kijiji.
Between June 8 and 18, police received four reports of individuals being robbed by an unknown man while trying to sell a cell phone.
The suspect reportedly gave the victims a fake name and phone numbers, and twice used a woman’s name when making the connection over Kijiji.
In all four cases, the suspect arranged to meet the victims at Northtown or Northgate shopping centres, or Northgate Transit Centre. In two cases, the suspect got into the car with the lone woman seller before the robbery.
In all four cases, the suspect asked the sellers to unlock the phone before showing what appeared to be a handgun in a holster. The suspect never actually showed a gun.
The suspect left each robbery on foot after threatening the seller by saying he had photos of their license plates and knew how to find them.
The suspect is described as between 20 and 30 years old, 5’7” to 5’9” tall with olive coloured skin. He was wearing a black baseball cap.
“We want to remind citizens to use caution when meeting up with strangers,” said Det. Calvin Mah, EPS Northeast Division in a written release. “Arrange to meet in a safe, visible and public location, not in your home or vehicle, bring another person with you, tell a family member or friend where and when you are doing the transaction and what time you expect to be finished, and pay attention to your instincts. If something feels off at any point, abandon the sale.”
Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call 780-423-4567 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
