Ottawa Police Chief warns of robberies linked to online sales

Ottawa police have created "Safe Trade Zones" at police stations on Elgin Street (seen here), Kanata, and Orléans. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa)

Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs says there has been a notable rise in personal robberies linked specifically to online sales, through sites such as Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji.

Speaking to reporters Monday ahead of the Ottawa Police Service Board meeting, Stubbs said the police service has seen 10 crimes of this nature so far this year.

“What we often see is the prospective buyers are the accused, and the victims are the sellers,” he said. “What the buyer is doing is robbing the seller—the victim—of what is agreed-upon to buy, because they know that item is there.”

Stubbs said the robberies sometimes include violence, such as the use of pepper spray against a victim.

“We know it’s very popular to buy and sell online right now but people just really have to make sure they understand who they’re selling to and taking steps to secure their safety,” Stubbs said.

The police chief stressed that buyers and sellers should meet in well-lit public places, and he emphasized the Ottawa Police Service’s “safe trade zones” in the parking lot behind OPS headquarters at 474 Elgin St., the Kanata police station at 211 Huntmar Dr., and the Orléans police station at 3343 St-Joseph Blvd. These spots are marked with blue and white handshake symbols and have CCTV camera monitoring.

“People need to use those more. If it’s a legitimate person you’re meeting with… they’ll be happy to go to one of our locations. We’re in the west, the east, and central, so it should be quasi-convenient for most people,” Stubbs said.

If you can’t meet at one of the police stations, Stubbs emphasized not meeting at your personal home.

“A number of the most recent incidents have been at the victims’ homes,” he said.

Stubbs said robberies are about 39 per cent higher overall in Ottawa compared to last year, mostly related to commercial robberies, but he said the 10 incidents of personal robberies linked to online sales is also an increase.

“That online buying and selling, whatever platform you’re using, we really want people think about doing their homework to make sure they keep themselves safe,” Stubbs said.

The Ottawa Police Service offers the following tips for safely conducting sales online:

Don’t invite the other party to your home to complete the trade.

When meeting for a trade, bring a friend and meet in a public place with extensive lighting and video surveillance, like a shopping mall or a Safe Trade spot at a police station.

Meet during daylight hours if you’re planning to meet in person. Any last-minute changes to the location should be considered a red flag. Police recommend you walk away from the exchange rather than go to a second location.

Avoid vacant parking lots or properties when you meet with the other party.

Stubbs also suggested looking up the International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI number of an electronic device you’re thinking of purchasing to ensure that it hasn’t been reported stolen.