Toronto police are cautioning those responding to online classifieds of potential robberies when being asked to exchange goods in person, after a man was robbed and assaulted in Mimico on Monday night.
Authorities say the victim was attempting to buy a laptop and travelled to Lake Shore Boulevard West and Superior Avenue to meet up with an online seller when he was jumped by two men.
Investigators say the suspects identified themselves as the sellers then struck the potential buyer with a handgun and stole his mobile phone and a quantity of cash. The victim was treated in hospital for his injuries.
Police obtained security camera footage of the suspects.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-2200, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
Toronto police say those wishing to complete online classified purchases in person, should do such transactions in public places.
One high-profile case of an online transaction going bad was the murder of Ancaster resident Tim Bosma, who took two men out for a test drive in a pickup truck he advertised for sale online.
The incident prompted some police agencies across the country to create “safe zones” for the completion of online business transactions at divisions where cameras are present 24 hours a day.
Toronto police have not adopted “safe zones” since most divisions have not been set up to accommodate such surveillance, but a police station is one place where police say you could complete an in-person transaction.
“Police recommend that you complete an online transaction in a public place,” Const. Caroline de Kloet told AM640, “If that public place is a police station, you can absolutely do it there.”
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