String of violent robberies targeting people selling mobile phones has sparked a police investigation

ALL they wanted to do was sell their smartphones but when they went to meet the buyers the deals have gone horribly wrong.

A STRING of violent robberies in western Sydney targeting people selling mobile phones on Gumtree has sparked a police strike force investigation.

Since December last year, officers have been investigating a spate of robberies involving people trying to sell their smartphones on the online marketplace Gumtree.

When the seller arrives at a predetermined location to meet with the buyer, they are robbed by two males in their late teens, who are described as Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance.

In addition to working with Gumtree, officers from Strike Force Hayden have released vision of a black Toyota Corolla used in one of the incidents in Strathfield South.

The footage shows a 26-year-old male victim being thrown from the vehicle near the intersection of Homebush Road and the Hume Highway after being robbed of his phone and possessions.

The robberies happened in Lidcombe, Strathfield, Regents Park, Merrylands, Brookvale, Marsfield and Canley Heights.

Police are urging the driver of the vehicle to come forward, as they may be able to assist police with their inquiries.

Anyone with information about these incidents who has not yet spoken to police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Further information on how to stay safe online, as well as Gumtree-specific information, can be found here.

Originally published as String of violent robberies targeting people selling mobile phones has sparked a police investigation