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Warning Over Facebook Marketplace Deals Issued After String Of Violent Robberies
People are being warned to take extra care before meeting up with strangers to exchange money or items after a spate of violent assaults and thefts.
Canterbury Police say more than a dozen people have been threatened, attacked or robbed while collecting goods listed on social media or online marketplaces.
In some cases, buyers thought they were picking up cannabis purchases only to be threatened and fleeced.
And police fear that is just the tip of the iceberg with some people reluctant to report what has happened out of fear or embarrassment.
Canterbury District Prevention Manager Inspector Ash Tabb said in the last year, there have been 13 reported violent-related offences, just from Facebook Marketplace interactions.
He said eight of those were robberies, three were a very serious assaults and two others were a lower-level assaults.
"Some have used weapons, some have been bats, knives. I think in two cases, firearms were presented, whether they were real or imitation... there were others robbed by physical violence," he said.
"There were a couple of other occasions where there threats as such, as opposed to physical violence."
But sellers are not the only ones at risk, with several posing as buyers, only to steal the victim's items, such as their car.
Tabb said it was a new platform for theft, where previously the perpetrator would potentially go into a dairy or service station and use violence to steal.
"This is something by appointment in effect," he said. "You're anonymously arranging a meeting, using threats of violence."
Tabb said if a deal sounded too good to be true, it probably was. He recommended further investigating the other person's profile for details such as how recently it was created or how much detail it had - or lacked.
He also suggested meeting the person in a public space, and not at midnight or an alley way, which they have seen in some of the cases, which made for an easier getaway.
"They will arrange a physical meet up to go somewhere, and it may be an unusual place, maybe middle of the night, it might be a remote location, or somewhere where there is no one else around," he said.
"And when they go there, either the item is taken from them, or are threatened with violence, or violence occurs with the victim."
Tabb urged anyone that has been the victim of an assault or robbery to contact police, even if the person was buying or selling drugs.
He said there is no evidence the assaults and robberies are connected to each other, but that the "practice here is more commonplace, and it's not just the violent side, it's a lot of thefts and money going missing in the anonymity of marketplace".
Tabb said that two of the robberies have been linked to gangs.
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