The Yellowknife RCMP are currently investigating an attempted armed robbery that took place on November 21st.
RCMP received a call from the complainant who reported that they had been threatened with a handgun after arranging to buy items off of Facebook Marketplace. The complainant had responded to an add listing Apple Airpods for sale. Arrangements were made for the complainant to meet the seller at a parking lot near a business on Old Airport Road. When the complainant arrived, the seller was with another person.
After viewing the product, the complainant indicated that they did not want to complete the sale. The suspect then brandished what appeared to be a handgun and threatened the complainant. The complainant refused to provide any money and the suspects fled in a vehicle.
The information that the complainant provided indicated that the items the suspect presented for sale was not the same item pictured in the listing. This matter remains under investigation with assistance from the Yellowknife General Investigation Section. RCMP have determined that the posting was made under a fake name and attempts to identify the suspects are on-going.
The RCMP are reminding the public to be cautious when buy items from an online marketplace.While many sales are legitimate, there are still ways that scammers can take advantage of the good will of other people.
When looking at an item, consider all noteworthy factors of the deal. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Arrange to meet in a public place during business hours. Bring someone else with you when you meet for the sale. Ask for additional photos. A person with a legitimate item to sell should be able to send additional photos of the item.
