Between June 8 and June 18, Northeast Division received four reports of an unknown male suspect who arranged through Kijiji to purchase cellphones from sellers before robbing them of the phones. The suspect gave the complainants a fake name and phone number, and in two cases, used a female name during their initial interactions over Kijiji. In each case, the suspect arranged to meet the seller at Northtown or Northgate shopping centre or Northgate Transit Centre to conduct the transaction.
It was reported that each time, when the suspect met with the seller, he asked them to unlock the phone and then robbed the seller by showing them what appeared to be a handgun in a holster on his person. In two cases, when the lone female sellers arrived at the meeting location to conduct the transaction, the suspect got into the vehicle with them before committing the robbery.
On each occasion, the suspect walked away on foot after threatening the complainants by saying he had taken a photo of their license plate and knew how to find them. None of the complainants have reported that the suspect ever removed the handgun from the holster.
The suspect is described as a male between 20 and 30 years of age, 5’7” to 5’9” tall with an olive to tan skin tone. He reportedly wears a black baseball cap and carries what appears to be a handgun in a holster.
“We want to remind citizens to use caution when meeting up with strangers,” says Det. Calvin Mah, EPS Northeast Division. “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.”
For more tips to prepare for a safer online buy-and-sell experience, visit the EPS website.
Anyone with information regarding the identity of the male suspect is asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.
from Media Releases http://bit.ly/2XiJxNa
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