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Man steals woman’s cell phone instead of buying it
A man stole a phone in broad daylight instead of paying the seller for it in DeKalb County.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A woman who was trying to sell her old phone online said she has a cautionary tale that one can never be too careful when doing business with strangers.
The woman, who didn’t want to share her name for this story, said a man told her he was interested in buying her phone but ended up stealing it from her in a public place and in broad daylight.
She looked out for any red flags during the conversation and made sure to meet up in a place with a lot of people but she said that wasn't enough to stop the criminal.
"It just made me realize it can happen to anybody," the woman said.
A woman said she's no stranger to buying and selling through apps. So, when she arranged to meet with a man to sell her old iPhone they decided to meet at a Publix in DeKalb County.
"I met him in a public place. It was in the daylight. There was a cop nearby. There were cameras around," she said.
She said the man, who went by the name "DC Hunt" on the app OfferUp. When he arrived, she said she gave him the phone to inspect it but then she said he started to act a little suspicious.
"He put it in his right pocket. I was just waiting to see if he was going to pay me. He was like almost running to Publix and said the ATM wasn't working…I was just following him very closely," she recalled.
She said the man pretended like he was going to pay her through an app but got into the passenger's seat of a black Dodge and left.
"I called 911 and said the tag number is this and this because they were passing by me," she said.
The DeKalb County Police Department confirms they're investigating this. In the meantime, this woman said she hopes no one else falls for this person or any other criminals like him.
She hopes her story is a reminder that anyone can still become a victim even when being careful.
"Even if you have another person, even if you're protecting yourself, meet in a police station. Or meet in a place where there is law enforcement. Because these people are getting smarter, they're likely not alone and they can harm you," she said.
Some police departments do have areas in front of their stations where online sellers can safely meet up with strangers to buy or sell items.
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