Hamilton police are warning residents to be aware of possible scams when buying items online.
It comes after Hamilton police arrested a man for allegedly selling fake phones to people on Kijiji earlier this month.
Police say the first incident happened on March 2 shortly after 8:30 p.m., when a Hamilton resident met up with a seller in a parking lot on Upper Wentworth Street to buy a new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 that had been listed in a Kijiji ad for $650. When the seller left, the buyer realized they had purchased a phone that didn’t work, according to police.
Another victim met up with a buyer on Mohawk Road West to buy a new iPhone XR for $700, but again, the buyer only realized they had purchased a fake phone after the seller left, according to police.
Hamilton police say their investigation led them to a 20-year-old Brampton man, who was arrested and charged with two counts of fraud under $5,000.
He was released and is due to appear at Hamilton’s John Sopkina Court House on April 23.
Media relations Const. Lorraine Edwards says you should always be careful when buying items online and to always meet in a public place, inspect the product in front of the seller, and ask questions before you make a purchase.
“The rule of ‘buyer beware’ should always be exercised,” said Edwards, “If a purchase appears too good to be true, it probably is.”
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