Police are continuing to look for three men who attacked and stabbed a man who was meeting someone in response to his Kijiji ad to sell his phone.
A man in his 20s posted an online ad to sell his mobile phone and then made contact with a prospective buyer, who agreed to meet with him at the Shawnessy Shopping Centre on Sunday night.
Three men showed up to meet with him and the seller got into their vehicle.
That’s when, police say, he was stabbed.
The assailants fled and the seller’s girlfriend rushed him to hospital, where he is now in serious, but stable, condition.
The tale is all too familiar for Corey Clark, who was attacked two and a half years ago in Fort McMurray and knows how dangerous online classifieds can be.
Clark, who still buys and sells items through online classified websites, says that when he heard about the stabbing, he can’t believe it happened in Calgary.
He adds that some simple precautions can help reduce the risk. “I’ve never had an incident like that, or anything like that. I’d say houses, go to each other’s houses right, like meet there, that’s one of the best spots.”
Police are recommending that you also shouldn’t meet with buyers or sellers alone.
“If you’re going to meet someone, make sure it’s in a public place, even the parking lot of a police station would be a good idea,” says Staff Sergeant Jim Stinson with the Calgary Police Service. “Prior to meeting anyone, make sure you have their contact information, not just email information, and for sure don’t bring a whole lot of cash to these meetings.”
Clark says he will always keep safety in mind when buying and selling on Kijiji.
“If it’s not seeming right, then I will definitely not go and buy it, just because I don’t want to put myself in harm’s way for sure.”
Police are looking for three suspects, all about 19 years old.
The driver was a black male with very short hair, and there was a black male in the front passenger seat.
The passenger in the rear seat was a black male with shoulder length dread locks, wearing a baseball cap, possibly with a star logo on it.
Investigators also say the men fled in a mid 1990s white Jeep.
