CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago Police say several people who have tried buying cell phones through social media have ended up being robbed at gunpoint in recent weeks.
A total of five incidents are under investigation, according to police. The first took place on November 25, 2023 at 12:28 PM on the 5400 block of West Washington Blvd. and the most recent incident took place Sunday in the same area.
The other three were all reported in the 3700 block of West Arlington Street.
In each case, police said the victims used Facebook Marketplace and agreed to meet up with the seller to purchase a cell phone, but wound up being robbed at gunpoint by a group of men instead.
In at least one of these incidents, the victim was chased by the suspects after the robbery, police said. While in the most recent incident, investigators said gunshots were fired, but no one was struck.
Police are reminding residents to be cautious when meeting with strangers and anyone with information to come forward.
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