Since the beginning of September 2023, Anchorage Police have seen commonalities amongst a few robberies that have taken place.  The general theme is that the victim buyer agrees to meet the suspect who is selling shoes through Facebook Marketplace.  Once the victim(s) arrive at the agreed upon location, two or three males confront the victim(s).  At least one of the suspects pulls a gun, and then the victim(s) are robbed of their possessions. 

No injuries have been reported.  So far, we have documented incidents in East and South Anchorage.  If you have been a victim of this robbery scam, and you have not yet reported it to APD, please do so by calling APD Dispatch at 3-1-1 (option #1) or 907-786-8900 (option #0).  If you have information on who may be committing these crimes, notify APD Dispatch or submit a tip online anonymously at www.AnchorageCrimeStoppers.com.

Here are some tips for when you’re purchasing items off Facebook Marketplace:

·         You know what your Facebook page looks like, and you know what your friends’ Facebook profiles look like.  Make sure the person you are purchasing an item from has a Facebook page that looks like yours – like it belongs to an actual person.  If the seller has no posts, only one or two Facebook friends, and a stock photo as a profile picture, then steer clear of them.

·         Do not meet anyone for a sale outside of “normal” daylight hours. 

·         Only meet in a very public and busy place.  Do not meet anyone in an isolated location. 

·         Before meeting the seller, take screen shots with your phone of all conversations/interactions you have with the seller in case those are needed for a police investigation later should the meet-up go bad.

·         Do not go to a transaction alone.

·         Make sure at least one other person, who is not with you, knows where you are going and who you are meeting.  Have an agreed upon time wherein you will contact that person, so they know you are safe, and the sale occurred without any issues.

·         If something does go wrong during the transaction, do your best to get a description of the suspect(s) and the vehicle they arrived in.  Contact police as quickly as possible once you are safe.