A Facebook Marketplace meetup in a luxury downtown condo lobby ended with a $25,000 watch and another item gone. The story serves as another warning about the risks associated with online sales in Chicago.
Police said the victim, who was trying to sell the watch, arranged to meet two men in the lobby of his building in the 200 block of North Harbor Drive on July 27.
The men arrived and examined the watch and a second item for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, without warning, both bolted down the driveway and around the corner with the valuables, according to officials.
The victim gave chase, but one of the men allegedly implied he had a weapon, forcing him to back off.
Cook County Crime Stoppers is now offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the indictment or arrest of the robbers.
Tipsters can remain anonymous while still being eligible for the reward by calling 800-535-7867 or writing [email protected]. Refer to case #JJ-351155.
Robberies linked to online meet-ups are not unusual in Chicago. Police have reported hundreds of such cases in recent years, and CPD has released dozens of community alerts urging buyers and sellers to be cautious.
In some cases, victims have been robbed of the cash they brought to complete purchases. In others, like this downtown case, sellers have been robbed of the goods they were offering.
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