The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) is warning residents of a series of frauds occurring over Facebook Marketplace that target purchasers of Apple and Samsung products.
Since May of 2023, there have been over 40 Facebook Marketplace frauds reported to EPS. These frauds involve the purchase of ‘new’ products such as cellular phones and watches, only for unsuspecting buyers to discover that the items are fakes. In many instances, a receipt is being provided giving the buyer a false sense of security.
“Over the past three months, there has been an explosion in these frauds,” says Det. Chapman Lee of the EPS Southeast Investigative Response Team. “We urge anyone that is looking to make a purchase of a personal electronic device over Facebook Marketplace to be extra diligent to ensure that the item is legitimate.”
Citizens that are purchasing products on Facebook Marketplace are advised to look at the profile of the person selling the item. In most of these instances, the seller’s profile is fairly new and has little to no activity.
“In addition, please use a safe-trading site to conduct any sort of in-person transaction,” says Det. Lee. “A well-lit public location where there are surveillance cameras is recommended. In some of the instances, transactions occurred in secluded areas where the sellers became violent and assaulted the buyers.”
There are four EPS Branches that have designated buy and sell exchange zones in their parking lots. Please refer to the Edmonton Police Service link to learn more and for further information on online classifieds safety.
Anyone with any information about these frauds or any other crime 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.
Comments