Durham police investigators are advising the community of an increase in crime related to the selling of goods online.
In West Division over the past few weeks, several people who have arranged to sell items on the letgo app had their items stolen at the pre-arranged exchange location. In one case, a 16-year-old Pickering male was physically attacked when he was attending an exchange location to sell a pair of shoes. In several instances, the sale involves a smartphone and the would-be purchaser just grabs it from the seller and leaves the exchange location, said a police statement.
Description of suspects in these cases vary. The investigative team from West Division wants to warn residents of the increase in these types of incidents and urges sellers to take precautions, including:
* meet the purchaser in a public place, preferably during the day in good lighting conditions
* bring a friend to support you
* when approaching the exchange zone, assess your surroundings carefully and beware of suspicious persons in the area