Barrie police needs your help to catch an alleged fraudster.
On Monday, city police released a photo of a suspect in a fraud case that saw a local online buy-and-sell transaction go south.
According to Barrie police, on Aug. 26 around noon, the victim met a seller he had interacted with through Facebook Marketplace looking to purchase an iPhone 11 Pro Max.
“The phone was handed over and money was exchanged,” Barrie police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon told BarrieToday, adding that approximately $1,000 was given to the seller for the phone.
As the phone had no charge, the victim took the phone to his vehicle to plug it in to ensure it worked.
When the screen turned on, the victim discovered it was an Android device. When he turned to confront the seller, the seller had left the area.
“The phone that was advertised was not the phone that was handed over,” Leon said.
Leon said people need to be aware when purchasing an item through an online platform.
“It shows how cautious you have to be. When you’re doing these transactions, do them in public places and well-lit areas. You hope you’re dealing with an honest person, but not everybody is,” he said.
“We’re pretty confident someone is going to recognize who this individual is," Leon added.
Some Ontario Provincial Police detachments have designated parking spaces in their lots for online marketplace pick-ups and drop-offs. While the Barrie police doesn’t currently have a space designated for that type of use, Leon says online deal hunters are welcome to use the public lot at the new Barrie-Simcoe Emergency Services Campus on Fairview Road.
“If they want, people can come here to do it. That’s not a problem. I think it would legitimize the process,” said Leon. “If somebody is going to be dishonest about it, they may think twice about making that transaction here.”
If you recognize the person in the photo, please contact Barrie Police at [email protected].
