Man Gets Robbed in iPhone Scam in McLean District: Police

If you're going to buy an iPhone, perhaps it's best to just go to the Apple store, as a recent incident near McLean suggests. At the very least, it may be wise to take advantage of Fairfax County's new "Exchange Zone" program.

Police have arrested a teenager from Maryland who agreed to meet with a victim near McLean who wanted to buy an iPhone, and then snatched the cash and ran -- yet another example of why you need to be extremely careful when meeting face-to-face to buy things online, police say.

The incident happened at around 11 a.m. on June 25 in the 2600 block of Avenir Place, and police from the McLean District Station responded.

"The victim agreed to meet the suspect via online communication, to purchase an iPhone," the police report states. "They met in a parking lot to conduct the exchange. The suspect took cash from the victim’s person and fled."

Officers arrested the 17-year-old suspect after he was seen running into a local store.

Police are also looking for a second suspect who was seen with the arrested teenager inside the store. Police described him as black, between 17 and 20 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches tall to 5 feet 10 inches tall, 150 to 170 lbs, and wearing a white tank top, blue jeans, white sneakers and carrying a purple backpack.

If you insist on buying things like phones from people online, there's a safer way to go about it. Just a day before the incident, Fairfax County Police Department posted a statement on their website announcing the "Exchange Zone" program, which was rolled out June 27 at Sully District Police Station as a pilot program before it spreads to the rest of the county.

Police are assigning two parking spaces directly in front of the building to be designated and reserved for buyers and sellers who meet face-to-face.

"The spaces will be identified through posted signs and pavement markings," the statement reads. "The lot is already under 24-7 video monitoring. It is the hope of the police department that the location and surveillance will increase buyers’ and sellers’ safety and promote safer and less fraudulent exchanges."

Police are unveiling this program because of an increasing problem with incidents like the one over the weekend.

"Online purchases are a part of modern society. While many items are shipped to consumers' homes, other purchases require a face-to-face meeting," the statement adds. "This can put consumers in a vulnerable position and create opportunities for criminals. Unfortunately, police respond to numerous reports of robberies, assaults and thefts throughout the year as people who just want to buy an item for a little less become unsuspecting victims."

Image via Fairfax County Police Department