Patrick Smith: In a city where online buying and selling has become a common practice, a routine transaction has turned into a nightmare. It all began when a women decided to sell her Apple Watch on Facebook Marketplace. Little did she know that a simple transaction would lead to a different encounter. Here, on 100 block of McAllister Avenue a women was robbed at gunpoint Monday night.
Patrick Smith: Public Information Officer Lieutenant Matthew Malinowski of the Syracuse Police Department spoke about how there’s no real pattern when it comes to robberies like these. Instead, they come in waves.
Lt. Matthew Malinowski: No, this is something that just goes in waves. Same thing when we have stolen vehicles, these types of robberies I think that you can have it with other scams with people getting apartments, with people trying to take advantage of anything over the internet.
Patrick Smith: Lieutenant Malinowski explains that these opportunistic criminals could strike anyone they perceive as an easy target, regardless of age.
Malinowski: I don’t think so it’s just someone taking an advantage of a situation they’ll know that they’ll try to get you to come into the city, in a location that they’re familiar with so that they are able to commit the robbery and get away.
Smith: Malinowski emphasizes that when buying or selling online, prioritize your safety over money. Reporting for N-C-C News I’m Patrick Smith.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — On Monday night in Syracuse, a woman who had arranged to meet with a prospective buyer for her Apple Watch became the victim of an armed robbery.
At approximately 7:32 p.m., law enforcement swiftly responded to a reported robbery incident in the 100 block of McAllister Avenue. When officers arrived at the scene, the 20-year-old woman explained she was selling her watch to an individual she connected with on Facebook Marketplace. Instead of one person, she was met by a group of several men, one of them was armed with a gun.
The woman was not injured in the incident.
The police strongly urge the public to exercise caution when engaging in face-to-face meetings arranged through online platforms for buying and selling items. Lt. Matthew Malinowski of the Syracuse Police Department has noted that when facing these situations, prioritize your safety over money. Get to know your trading partner as much as possible, including their ID, contact information and address. This information could be crucial in case of a robbery, helping law enforcement swiftly respond.
The police have requested that anyone with information about the incident contact them at (315) 442-5200.
