Scammers turn to app used to buy and sell local merchandise 

Letgo, an app used to buy and sell local merchandise, has also been used as a tool for scammers, Suffolk officials said at a news conference Friday.

Five consumers who went to buy or sell merchandise in transactions that originated on letgo were robbed at the agreed-upon locations, the officials said. The victims lost hundreds of dollars in the incidents, which happened between August and New Year's Eve. 

In one incident, a victim arranged to sell a cellphone to someone outside a Mastic Beach home on Aug. 16.  The suspect took the phone and told the victim he would return. He then fled into the rear of the property.

In another incident, on Nov. 30, a suspect asked to meet the victim in front of the same house to sell a phone. The suspect accepted $400 and told the victim he needed to get a SIM card for the phone. He also fled to the rear of the house. 

The residents of the Mastic Beach house aren't believed to be involved, said Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart, who spoke at the news conference. She said the location was used because the suspects could cut through the yard to a back road.

In the New Year's Eve incident at the Mastic-Shirley LIRR station, after the victim handed over $500 for a phone the suspect pushed him to the ground. When the victim attempted  to follow him, a second man threatened to shoot him.

"Fortunately no one was injured, but the fact that the suspects made threats . . . is concerning," Hart said.

She recommended that consumers using apps like letgo carry out transactions in a public place, meet during daylight hours and never go alone. And consumers should make sure they verify the sellers. If the app has no information on the seller, "you want to be suspicious," she said. 

A letgo spokesman said, "Our team is working with local law enforcement to help with their investigation. We have no tolerance for something like this. We always encourage users to meet in a busy, public place .... If anything raises a red flag, like someone making odd requests or refusing to meet in public, we advise users to trust their instincts, report that person to us if needed and find another buyer or seller. Our team is also available to answer questions. 
We've included user profiles, ratings and reviews, and other features so users can see who they're talking to and what others have said about them."

Anyone with information on the scam should call Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS (8477).

Separately, Stuart Cameron, the Police Department's chief of department, said the largest amount of money a resident has had stolen in a scam was the $800,000 a Dix Hills resident lost last year to someone posing as a representative of Publishers Clearinghouse, which is based in Port Washington. The resident forked over the money in a series of transactions between April and July, he said. The alleged crime wasn't publicized because the victim wanted to remain anonymous, he said. The person was told that in order to claim a big jackpot he or she had to pay some money upfront.