Scammers took advantage of contactless Facebook, Kijiji sales during pandemic, stole $190K in property: Edmonton police
CTV
Scammers took advantage of public health precautions during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud dozens of people who agreed to a contactless delivery through Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji, Edmonton police say.
Scammers took advantage of public health precautions during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud dozens of people who agreed to a contactless delivery through Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji, Edmonton police say.
Investigators announced more than 160 charges against six people on Friday.
They have linked some 70 incidents between May 2020 and September 2021 where an online seller agreed to bring an item to a specific address and never received an electronically transferred payment.
More than $190,000 in property was amassed by the fraudsters, police say.
Five men and one woman face a total of 163 charges related to fraud, identity theft, extortion, forged documents and possession of stolen property.
On Friday, Edmonton Police Service reiterated tips for safe online buying and selling:
