IMPD: Watch for online sales of stolen items during holidays
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH-TV) — Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department wants everyone to be on the lookout as thieves turn to technology to rip off people.
Police are investigating two instances of thieves who attempted to sell stolen items through a third party.
News 8 obtained two police reports. One read a victim left his cellphone on a public bench and it was sold to the phone machine inside Circle Centre Mall on Dec. 7.
Another report mentioned pictures of a stolen moped were found on Facebook Marketplace. The suspect was trying to sell it with no title or keys.
IMPD Public Information Officer William A. Young said criminals will use websites in attempt to get away with doing the crime and people will unknowingly shop for stolen goods.
“I always encourage people to go to the police department and have us run like a serial number check for you to make sure it’s not stolen before you purchase it,” Young said. “Also when you purchase something I encourage people to write down your serial numbers in case they get stolen at a later date.”
IMPD has several e-commerce exchange zones, a safe place to complete online transactions, at each district headquarters. They recommend people to use them during this holiday season.
Police urges the public to be more vigilant during this time of year in order to not fall victim to theft. They asks people to park in well-lit areas and to not keep valuables inside the car where it’s visible and to not shop alone if possible.
