Latest news with #robbery
CBC
9 hours ago
- General
- CBC
Police warn of 'uptick' in online marketplace thefts in Waterloo region
Social Sharing Before deciding to post unwanted items online, the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) are reminding people to make they're being as safe as possible. Const. Melissa Quarrie, a public information officer at WRPS, told CBC K-W's The Morning Edition host Craig Norris, that police tend to see a little "uptick" in calls for online marketplace buy-and-sell robberies during the spring and summer months. "I don't know if that's connected to people doing spring cleaning, or wanting to refresh their residences or things that they're owning, but we do see these things happen not infrequently," said Quarrie. In a news release Sunday, WRPS said they continue to investigate a "person on person robbery" that happened in the area of Hollywood Court and Birmingham Drive in Cambridge in mid-February. A more recent robbery happened in mid-March. Police said a person, who thought they were meeting up with a buyer for the cellphone they posted online, was threatened with a machete. The victim's phone was then stolen. The robbery happened in the area of Pattandon Avenue and Mill Street in Kitchener. A Kitchener man was later arrested and charged. "It's definitely a cause for concern when people are just trying to sell their items and are experiencing violence or theft," said Quarrie. 'Trust your gut' Quarrie says there are often clues to spotting a fraudulent buyer or seller. "Someone who has a really quick timeline, someone who isn't able to answer any of your follow up questions, anyone who's wanting to exchange e-transfers or cash-in-advance payments," are some of the common signs, she said. "If something doesn't feel right, trust your gut." There are also other steps a person can take to ensure that an online buy-and-sell transaction will be as safe as possible, said Quarrie. The first step is doing as much background research as possible. Having recently sold a change table herself, she says "inquiring the person's name, their phone number, [and] checking their rating as a buyer and a seller on the application," would be a good start in vetting a buyer. A recently created profile also presents a red flag. "Ask some follow up questions to people," Quarrie said. "If something doesn't feel right, then you can always decline the sale." For buyers on the other hand, Quarrie says it's always good to remember that "if something feels too good to be true, it likely is." She advises against making advance payments before the meet-up. She also said to make sure you tell someone where you're going, who you're meeting, and what time you're supposed to meet. "Even better if you can bring a partner with you, or a trusted person who can go and be there to provide support," Quarrie said. "There's safety in numbers in cases like this." As for locations where you can safely do these transactions, WRPS have designated three safe exchange spots in the region: Doing the transactions in these locations are effective for a reason; the optics. Ron Piché, a defence lawyer in Saskatoon, told CBC News that "criminals don't want to be anywhere close to a police headquarters or a jail." Now in case a person has to do the transaction at their home address – as is sometimes the case with larger items such as furniture – Quarrie suggests making sure you are not home alone, and that your children are not with you. "And don't give out your address until the very last step," she added. If anything happens when conducting a buy-and-sell transaction, people are urged to call 911.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Police warn of 'uptick' in online marketplace thefts in Waterloo region
Before deciding to post unwanted items online, the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) are reminding people to make they're being as safe as possible. Const. Melissa Quarrie, a public information officer at WRPS, told CBC K-W's The Morning Edition host Craig Norris, that police tend to see a little "uptick" in calls for online marketplace buy-and-sell robberies during the spring and summer months. "I don't know if that's connected to people doing spring cleaning, or wanting to refresh their residences or things that they're owning, but we do see these things happen not infrequently," said Quarrie. In a news release Sunday, WRPS said they continue to investigate a "person on person robbery" that happened in the area of Hollywood Court and Birmingham Drive in Cambridge in mid-February. A more recent robbery happened in mid-March. Police said a person, who thought they were meeting up with a buyer for the cellphone they posted online, was threatened with a machete. The victim's phone was then stolen. The robbery happened in the area of Pattandon Avenue and Mill Street in Kitchener. A Kitchener man was later arrested and charged. "It's definitely a cause for concern when people are just trying to sell their items and are experiencing violence or theft," said Quarrie. 'Trust your gut' Quarrie says there are often clues to spotting a fraudulent buyer or seller. "Someone who has a really quick timeline, someone who isn't able to answer any of your follow up questions, anyone who's wanting to exchange e-transfers or cash-in-advance payments," are some of the common signs, she said. "If something doesn't feel right, trust your gut." There are also other steps a person can take to ensure that an online buy-and-sell transaction will be as safe as possible, said Quarrie. The first step is doing as much background research as possible. Having recently sold a change table herself, she says "inquiring the person's name, their phone number, [and] checking their rating as a buyer and a seller on the application," would be a good start in vetting a buyer. A recently created profile also presents a red flag. "Ask some follow up questions to people," Quarrie said. "If something doesn't feel right, then you can always decline the sale." For buyers on the other hand, Quarrie says it's always good to remember that "if something feels too good to be true, it likely is." She advises against making advance payments before the meet-up. She also said to make sure you tell someone where you're going, who you're meeting, and what time you're supposed to meet. "Even better if you can bring a partner with you, or a trusted person who can go and be there to provide support," Quarrie said. "There's safety in numbers in cases like this." As for locations where you can safely do these transactions, WRPS have designated three safe exchange spots in the region: North Division - 45 Columbia Street East, Waterloo. Headquarters (front parking lot) - 200 Maple Grove Road, Cambridge. South Division – 176 Hespeler Road, Cambridge. Doing the transactions in these locations are effective for a reason; the optics. Ron Piché, a defence lawyer in Saskatoon, told CBC News that "criminals don't want to be anywhere close to a police headquarters or a jail." Now in case a person has to do the transaction at their home address – as is sometimes the case with larger items such as furniture – Quarrie suggests making sure you are not home alone, and that your children are not with you. "And don't give out your address until the very last step," she added. If anything happens when conducting a buy-and-sell transaction, people are urged to call 911.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
More than 1,200 crimes were recorded in Darlington in March
The Northern Echo takes a look at all of the crimes reported to police in March 2025. Using data published through Durham Constabulary, the map shows which areas were most affected by crime that month and pinpoints where every one was recorded. Violent and sexual offences were the most frequently recorded in the Darlington area with anti-social behaviour coming a close second in the data which records more than 1,200 reported incidents. As well as the town itself, the data includes offences recorded in Hurworth, Middleton St George and other surrounding villages. One of the cases involved a woman suffering facial injuries during an alleged robbery. Officers working at the scene of the alleged robbery (Image: Newsquest) Officers were called just before 1am on Sunday, March 30, after a woman was attacked in an alley between Columbia Street and Craig Street and had her handbag stolen. And ice cream wars broke out in Darlington after two sellers clashed while trying to flog 99s on the same street - with police forced to step in to deal with the 'turf row'. Tensions were whipped up on Parkside earlier this month after Gwenny's Ices and Nevisons Super Whip both started offering soft serve and sprinkles to families near South Park. Both ice cream vans are licensed to operate by the park, between Kingsbury Mews and Lakeside, so long as they are 200m apart from each other. But things turned frosty on a sunny day at South Park when a dispute broke out between the two businesses on Saturday, March 8. And a man was arrested following an alleged shoplifting incident in Darlington that sparked a large 999 response just before midday on March 25. The Tubwell Row incident. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) See more court stories from The Northern Echo by Man kicked doctor in Bishop Auckland, spat on police cameras and urinated in cell Driver knocked over pedestrian on way to bookies in Bishop Auckland Drug dealer walks free from court after 'extraordinary delay' in case Unlock unlimited local news subscribe today and save on an annual subscription. Enjoy access to our ad-free mobile and tablet app, as well as the digital edition of the paper. Don't miss out – subscribe now! Click here for details. Multiple police vehicles were called to Tubwell Row in Darlington town centre after a man reportedly walked out of Savers with "a bag full of stolen items". Durham Police tracked the man on CCTV who was then arrested on the corner of East Row - and at one point three police vans and two cars were at the scene. Violent and sexual offences accounted for 400 reported incidents while there were 240 reports of anti-social behaviour. Criminal damage and shoplifting were the next two most recorded incidents in the town.
Khaleej Times
18 hours ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Gang of four faces trial for stealing 20 MacBook Pro laptops
Four men face trial at the Dubai Criminal Court for allegedly stealing 20 MacBook Pro laptops from two employees of an electronics trading company during a delivery in Al Baraha area. According to police investigations, the company had tasked two of its staff with delivering the laptops to another firm located in in Al Baraha. When the employees arrived at the location, they were approached by four men who falsely claimed to be expecting the delivery. The suspects took the laptops, tied the two employees to chairs, and fled the scene. The victims managed to alert Dubai Police, who immediately responded to the scene. Officers lifted fingerprints and reviewed surveillance footage to identify the suspects. A manhunt was then launched to track down the culprits. Police first arrested one of the suspects, who later cooperated and led officers to another accomplice. The remaining two were eventually tracked down and taken into custody. During questioning, all four men confessed to the robbery. Police were also able to recover all 20 stolen laptops, which the suspects intended to sell at reduced prices to another electronics company. Asian expat faces deportation In another case, a 35-year-old Asian man has been sentenced to one month in jail and deportation after being convicted of stealing a laptop from a woman he lured through a fake job advertisement posted on social media, a Dubai court has ruled. According to court records, the victim responded to the job ad and contacted the accused. He asked her to bring her laptop so he could install a programme allegedly related to the role. However, once she arrived, he distracted her, stole the device, and fled the location. Dubai Police later arrested the suspect and recovered the stolen laptop, even though it had already been sold. The Dubai Misdemeanours Court found him guilty of theft and ordered his immediate deportation after his prison term was completed.
CTV News
18 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Public safety program to crackdown on non-violent crime
Vancouver Watch B.C. has launched a $5-million public safety program to reduce robbery, shoplifting and other non-violent street crime - but is it enough?
