Kijiji users must be wary, says official
Company monitors for stolen goods, but can only do so much
CBC News
Posted: Feb 17, 2012 8:13 PM AT
Last Updated: Feb 17, 2012 8:18 PM AT
The haul from the recent Kijiji sting operation in Fredericton. (Fredericton Police)
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Kijiji officials say they monitor their online classified site for any suspicious activity, including stolen goods being sold.
Christian Jesserand, a Kijiji spokesman in Toronto, said there’s only so much the online classified website can do and consumers must be wary.
The comments come on the heels of an arrest earlier this week of a 28-year-old Fredericton man, who is accused of selling stolen items on Kijiji.
Fredericton Police seized $27,000 in stolen electronic equipment and $27,000 in proceeds of crime cash during a raid at a home on Feb. 14 as part of a sting operation.
Police say such crimes are becoming more frequent.
Unlike pawn shops, there are currently no bylaws or regulations for online classified sites, such as Kijiji, which has been around for about seven years.
Kijiji does, however, monitor thousands of its ads every day, said Jesserand.
“We do get alerted if we see any pattern that’s out of the ordinary and we are going to take very prompt action at the posting and at the reply level," he said.
Police received tip
The police investigation in Fredericton was sparked by a complaint about an ad on the popular buy-and-sell site.
It was the amount of similar electronic equipment that prompted someone to call police, said Staff Sgt. Brian Ford.
“It certainly raised a flag and they contacted us," he said.
“Our information was that we would find some computers, but we were probably most surprised by the amount of cash.”
Ford said a growing number of thieves are using online sites to hawk their stolen goods.
If a deal appears too good to be true, it probably is, he cautioned.
“If our subsequent investigation leads us to you, you could be charged criminally for possession of stolen property,” and the merchandise would be seized, said Ford.
In the most recent case, the police force’s neighbourhood action team set up a “sting.”
Officers contacted the suspect through the web and arranged a meeting, said Ford.
The Fredericton man will appear in provincial court March 30 to face a charge of possession of stolen property.
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