5 Defrauded In Letgo Scam: Police

MASTIC, NY — Five individuals looking to buy or sell phones on the letgo app were defrauded by three men recently, police said.

According to Suffolk County Police, the incidents took place from Aug. 16 through Dec. 31 in Mastic and Mastic Beach.

Suffolk County Police Seventh Squad detectives are investigating the five incidents, during which up to three men stole money from people who were attempting to buy or sell a phone on the letgo app, police said.

During the first incident, a person arranged to buy a cell phone from someone outside an address on Mayfield Drive in Mastic Beach on Aug. 16 at 10 p.m., police said.

The man took the phone and told the victim he would return — but instead, he fled into the rear yard and never returned with money, police said.

During the second incident, two individuals were waiting in a vehicle outside the same Mayfield Drive address on Nov. 9 at 8:10 p.m., when two men arrived and approached the car, police said.

The men showed the individuals a phone, then displayed a knife and stole money, police said.

Approximately three weeks later, a man arranged to buy a cell phone from someone outside the same Mayfield Drive address on Nov. 30 just before midnight; the man showed the potential buyer a cell phone and accepted cash, police said. The man then told the victim he had to get a SIM card, fled to the rear of the property, and never returned with the phone, police said.

During the fourth incident, an individual agreed to meet someone to purchase a cell phone on Mastic Rd. on Dec. 8 but when there, three men forcibly stole money from the person and fled on foot, police said.

Finally, the fifth incident occurred on Dec. 31 at the Mastic-Shirley Long Island Rail Road station, when an individual gave a man money and was pushed to the ground, police said. When the person attempted to follow the man, a second male threatened to shoot him, police said.

The residents of the Mayfield Drive address were not involved in the crimes, police said.

The photos shown are from the incident on Nov. 9, police said.

Anyone with information on the cases is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

A letgo spokesman responded Friday to a request for comment: "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 like a coffee shop, mall, grocery store or bank lobby. 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."

The spokesperson added: "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. We use a mix of human and artificial intelligence to help moderate our marketplace and we ask our user community to help by flagging anything that raises concerns."

Patch photos by SCPD.