Police concerned at spike in violent phone thefts linked to online trading sites
Teens as young as 14 are driving a spike in violent phone thefts linked to online trading sites, which have left victims bashed and even threatened with a gun.
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Teens as young as 14 are driving a spike in vicious mobile phone robberies.
The attacks, linked to people selling their phones online, have left victims bashed and at least one has been threatened with a gun.
As many as half a dozen thugs have embarked on the ambushes, which have also involved baseball bats and knives.
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Crooks exchanging mobiles for drugs or using them for their own offending or quick cash is driving the trend.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Hatt, of the Southern Metro Region Crime Team, told the Herald Sun: “There have been dozens of incidents over the last 12 months”.
“The trend appears to be young adolescent offenders engaging in this sort of activity.
“Some are involving certain groups and others are just random incidents.”
Thugs, aged into their early 20s, typically pose as potential phone buyers through sites such as Gumtree and Facebook.
They often arrange to meet victims at home — making off with their phone, cash and other valuables with alarming violence.
Only last month a 25-year-old Essendon man was bashed and his phone and credit cards stolen after he met five brutes posing as interested buyers.
In another case a phone seller met a thug posing as a potential buyer in a residential Narre Warren South street only for five more men to confront him with a handgun.
“There are occasions where force is used to take either the phone or other property,’’ Det Sen-Sgt Hatt said.
“The appearance of firearms and other weapons is a massive concern for us. The sheer number of offenders on occasion, too, is a concern.”
Hampton Park 23-year-old Nick, who asked for his real name to be withheld, was dragged along the ground and narrowly avoided being run over after two youths visited his home pretending to want to buy an iPhone X.
The technology worker needed medical treatment for a hand gash and other cuts while his mum was also attacked, and sustained a large cut to the leg.
“One of the guys grabbed the phone from my hand and screamed: ‘I will f---ing kill you!’,’’ Nick said.
“I was holding on to the phone pretty tight so I went along with him and my mum did, as well.
“We held on for a couple of metres — then he tripped Mum and she fell over and I fell over as well.”
Nick desperately pursued the robbers to a waiting BMW, and the car dragged him as a wrestle ensued.
People selling a phone are advised to meet buyers in a public place with CCTV in daylight, take along friends or family and arrange to meet via calls instead of messaging.
Gumtree in a statement said it worked with police to tackle “bad seeds”.