Help catch a theif

[Stephen W.]

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At approx. 6:18 pm on the evening of Monday July 21, 2025 at the McDonalds parking lot at Highway #30 & #401 while about to show a ring to a potential buyer the individual reached into the car and grabbed the box containing the ring right out of my wife’s hands. He then ran off across the parking lot and up the hill to the south into the trees. Linda gave chase but with her heart condition she had to stop. She was screaming that the person running had just stolen a ring from her but to no avail.

The male thief is Middle Eastern in appearance with very dark well-groomed hair. He is approx. 5’ 5” tall with a thin build. He was wearing a dark tee shirt and beige jogging type pants. His teeth are very white. He has one front tooth that is not straight; it looks turned as if it grew in before the old tooth had fallen out.

The OPP have viewed the parking lot and store video and have released this still image of the thief.

We’re sure this was not his first theft and he’ll keep doing it until he is caught. I say this because by the time the OPP arrived and Linda went through all the texts she discovered that his Facebook page was gone. It was probably fake to begin with but still.

Although he claimed to be from Toronto he may be from anywhere.

Please, if you see this ring or an individual fitting this description notify the Northumberland OPP office or the one nearest you.

 

[Mikedezo44]

just saw similar crime on facebook in a hamilton group, lady had iphone 14, met with a middle eastern and it was grabbed from her hands and thief ran to a waiting vehicle.

 

[Relax]

Wow! That's some balls. Makes meeting in apolice station parking lot even more important. Maybe not even the parking lot, but the lobby.

 

[Stephen W.]

My wife has been selling items on Facebook Marketplace for some time now. She has been very careful and when in doubt I have gone with her.

She had a determined buyer who wanted this expensive ring. They agreed to meet at the Cobourg OPP station on Saturday July 19. The buyer said he was coming from Toronto but obviously didn’t understand the distance or time it took and messaged Linda well after the agreed upon time that they wouldn’t make it and could they reschedule. We were not pleased after driving and then waiting almost two full hours. At first she said no thinking if he was really serious he’d have been on time.

However, this person was very persistent and after numerous texts they rescheduled for Monday July 21 in the afternoon at the Trenton Ontario Provincial Police Station. But again the buyer screwed up the time and asked to meet later.

I was going out to meet up with my brother at the Brighton Car Cruise Night and since our Caterham 7 is still in the body shop we are down to one car. Linda agreed to meet this person in Brighton and drove me to the cruise. This person sent multiple texts which clearly indicated that they were not good at directions. Linda told them to meet her at the McDonalds at Highway #30 and #401 as the OPP station is closed after 4:00 pm. I was going to go with her but she said she’d be OK.

You know what happened.

 

[JC99]

My wife has been selling items on Facebook Marketplace for some time now. She has been very careful and when in doubt I have gone with her.

She had a determined buyer who wanted this expensive ring. They agreed to meet at the Cobourg OPP station on Saturday July 19. The buyer said he was coming from Toronto but obviously didn’t understand the distance or time it took and messaged Linda well after the agreed upon time that they wouldn’t make it and could they reschedule. We were not pleased after driving and then waiting almost two full hours. At first she said no thinking if he was really serious he’d have been on time.

However, this person was very persistent and after numerous texts they rescheduled for Monday July 21 in the afternoon at the Trenton Ontario Provincial Police Station. But again the buyer screwed up the time and asked to meet later.

I was going out to meet up with my brother at the Brighton Car Cruise Night and since our Caterham 7 is still in the body shop we are down to one car. Linda agreed to meet this person in Brighton and drove me to the cruise. This person sent multiple texts which clearly indicated that they were not good at directions. Linda told them to meet her at the McDonalds at Highway #30 and #401 as the OPP station is closed after 4:00 pm. I was going to go with her but she said she’d be OK.

You know what happened.

Texts? You have a cell #? Maybe a burner phone but still, I assume you passed this on to the police?

 

[LBV]

Someone set up a sting and pummel the punk.

 

[sburns]

Sorry this happened to you.

But you waited 2 hours for this person, and then gave them a second chance???

If someone is late, 10 min's is all they get, I leave.
If this is a stranger, no second chance.

Everyone with a mobile has access to googlemaps, bad directions is an excuse.

Lot's of lessons to be learned here.

 

[nakkers]

Hope they catch this pucker.

A side note, I typically check their Facebook profile. New profile with nondescript profile pic, I simply block or ignore.


Really sorry to hear this happen.

 

[nobbie48]

Hope they catch this pucker.

A side note, I typically check their Facebook profile. New profile with nondescript profile pic, I simply block or ignore.


Really sorry to hear this happen.

I ignore anything FB. A guy in, I think it was in K-W, kept seeing people eyeballing his recently purchased home. When he asked why they told him it was regarding the rental ad on FB marketplace. Someone had taken the real estate photos and made a rental add. First and last etc

He contacted police and they told him they couldn't do anything as money hadn't changed hands.

 

[Stephen W.]

As I stated in a previous post, we did do things to try to prevent this from happening. In the end he was a con artist that knew how, (or was coached) to play on our good nature. He sucked us into his scheme. Hindsight is always 20-20. However, it’s at the very least inappropriate to blame the victims of crimes. So often people are quick to say; “it’ll never happen to me” until it does.

The wife has given the OPP a full and complete accounting of the incident including screen shots of all the text interactions which were via the Facebook Marketplace app. Nothing was done via mobile phone text. She had checked out his Facebook profile and it was very involved and mostly in a foreign script. He did have a Lincoln SUV for sale so he appeared to be a person of means. His Profile page was deleted either just before or minutes after the theft. The OPP are trying to access all the Facebook data but I do not think they will have any success. His profile page was probably fake.

 

[Evoex]

This is the result of half baked feedback systems.

I've said before on here, back in early 2000s I was making deals on redflagdeals.com of $1000+ and people weren't even bothering to count the cash I handed them. They knew I wasn't jeopardizing my 50+ deals with 100% feedback for a few bucks.

 

[Gaoler]

Sometime's though what looks sketchy isn't really...
'Had a garage sale last Saturday...
Near the end of the day I put a couple if items up on FB that hadn't sold...
One item was a thimble collection in a tacky display case... $10.
Within a few minutes I get this "I'm really interested, can I etrans you you money and pick it up next week?"
I'm thinkin' some kinda scam, but tell the buyer "sure" and give them an email address for the transfer, fully expecting a follow up scam attempt...
All I got were a couple of messages asking if I received the $ yet... and a screenshot if her end of the transfer. This woman REALLY wanted those thimble.
The $10 landed in my account so I'm like, "wow"... she actually followed through.
She then messages and says instead of next week, can her husband pick it up today on his way home from work?
I say "sure"...
40 min later a guy pulls up to my house in a frigging pumpcrete rig. ..
"My wife sent me to pick up something?"

Lol..

 

[sburns]

I think you misunderstand criticism for blame.

It's great to have a good nature (more of us should be this way), but like a motorcyclist, when dealing with strangers and high valued items you need your head on a swivel, and trust no one. Especially on a platform like Fackbook which allows scammers to run rampant.

From what I hear FB does allow Police access, or gives them details from behind the scenes.

Good luck!

 

[Hardwrkr13]

As I stated in a previous post, we did do things to try to prevent this from happening. In the end he was a con artist that knew how, (or was coached) to play on our good nature. He sucked us into his scheme. Hindsight is always 20-20. However, it’s at the very least inappropriate to blame the victims of crimes. So often people are quick to say; “it’ll never happen to me” until it does.

The wife has given the OPP a full and complete accounting of the incident including screen shots of all the text interactions which were via the Facebook Marketplace app. Nothing was done via mobile phone text. She had checked out his Facebook profile and it was very involved and mostly in a foreign script. He did have a Lincoln SUV for sale so he appeared to be a person of means. His Profile page was deleted either just before or minutes after the theft. The OPP are trying to access all the Facebook data but I do not think they will have any success. His profile page was probably fake.

Search Marketplace for that Lincoln SUV as chances are he's either trying to sell it or using it to scam people and is recycling the same photo.

 

[GreyGhost]

Pete gave you some coverage and 500 views of the scumbag. Good luck.

Northumberland OPP - Seeking Public's Assistance in Theft Investigation - Today's Northumberland - Your Source For What's Happening Locally and Beyond

The Northumberland Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying a person involved in a

todaysnorthumberland.ca

 

[crankcall]

That just sucks , I’m sorry for your loss . I’m at the point where I don’t trust anyone I just met , and I have been working with sketchy people most of my life .


Sent from my iPhone using GTAMotorcycle.com

 

[JC99]

Search Marketplace for that Lincoln SUV as chances are he's either trying to sell it or using it to scam people and is recycling the same photo.

I think he's likely to have thought of that. My guess is this is a habitual criminal since this is a risky crime and he seems to have manipulated the victims to a point where he was comfortable. Best bet would be to make a fake Facebook account or preferably use a friend's one and post a similar item in marketplace and wait to see if he's tempted again.

 

[nobbie48]

I think he's likely to have thought of that. My guess is this is a habitual criminal since this is a risky crime and he seems to have manipulated the victims to a point where he was comfortable. Best bet would be to make a fake Facebook account or preferably use a friend's one and post a similar item in marketplace and wait to see if he's tempted again.

Be careful of getting into a street fight with a street fighter unless you have serious backup.

Identifying the perp: Have you asked the police if you can go through mug shots of anyone released on remand in the last couple of days. Sarcasm

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