Edmonton police say they’ve received 15 reports of personal robberies during Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace meetups in the last month.
The Edmonton Police Service says the robberies are happening during sales of higher-priced items like cell phones and brand-name clothing.
Authorities say a suspect posing as a buyer meets with the seller and evaluates the item for sale. Then at least one accomplice shows up and together they rob the seller of the item.
In some cases, according to police, the suspects utter threats. In one case reported to police, the suspects are said to have shown a gun.
The first robberies in the series occurred in southwest Edmonton in the Duggan area.
“But reports have since come from multiple areas of the city. Investigators are warning people to be vigilant when arranging online sales meetups,” EPS said in a news release.
Police say they arrested three male teenagers on Jan. 31 in connection to one of the first reported robberies in the series. They were each charged with theft under $5,000.