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iPhone Fake Out on Craigslist Leads to Arrests
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 12, 2008
Modified Jun 12, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 12, 2008
Modified Jun 12, 2008
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Remember: If the offer is too good to be true and it's on Craigslist, it very well might not be true. The police have arrested a group of young men for robbing thousands of dollars from people responding to a Craigslist ad, with the sweet deal of about 10 iPhones for $2,000.
The Sun reports that the group would tell potential buyers to meet them on various East Flatbush street corners, with the cash, of course: "Once there, officials said, the men robbed the interested buyers using a 9 mm pistol. Police said the men, who never had iPhones to sell, stole thousands of dollars." The scheme was broken up yesterday when a police officer posed as an interested buyer and met up with the thieves at Albany Avenue and Avenue K.
While twelve people have said they were robbed, the police have only linked the group to four of the robberies. And last year, a group of teens were arrested after trying to rob and beating would-be Porsche buyers, found through a Craigslist ad. Craigslist also has tips for personal safety and avoiding scams & frauds.
Tagged
brooklyn
craigslist
crime
iphone
scam
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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