A recent robbery arrest in Nashville highlights the dangers of selling online.
The incident happened back in the fall and the suspect was never arrested or identified until he recently walked into an Auto Zone where the victims works.
He immediately recognized him as the robber and called police. Steven Russell Burris was later arrested and charged with aggravated robbery.
The victim was trying to buy the suspect's newer iPhone after the pair met on Letgo – a phone app used to buy, sell and exchange things online.
But the deal went badly. Police said Burris pulled out a gun, put it to the victim's head and said, "I hate to do this to you but give me my phone back and get out of here."
The victim complied and the gunman sped off. The two had arranged to meet after midnight at the Una Recreation Park in Antioch.
These apps can be great tools to get rid of your junk but it's also setting innocent people up for robbery. Here’s a few tips that police said can help keep you safe:
- Meet in a well-lit police precinct.
- Bring a friend if you can and do it during daylight.
- Vanderbilt University even has a "Safe Exchange Area" for its police department for students and faculty to safely meet people from online 24/7.
If the other person has a problem with any of those things, that should raise red flags to move on to the next person.
