Dallas police are issuing a warning after dozens of people have become victims of online trading robberies.
Investigators say these types of robberies are up more than 100 percent compared to last year. The criminals are scouting several apps, including OfferUp – a popular trading app where consumers can instantly connect.
"I came across this one guy, he was telling me he wanted to get a Christmas gift for his daughter. I was like, that's sweet – something I would do for my child," said Alexis Hurndon.
She decided the buyer would be the perfect person to whom she could sell her iPhone 7, or so she thought.
"I was just shocked, staring at him because I couldn't believe he pulled the gun at me. Nobody ever did that to me before," Hurndon said.
Hurndon is still shaking weeks later. Her body language speaks much louder than any words after the most terrifying moment of her life.
She says she agreed to meet the buyer in a Pleasant Grove neighborhood. Hurndon says she brought a male friend and her 2-year-old son. The buyer brought a gun, and had no intention of paying her.
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"What makes me more mad is that he looked at my child, and then he looked back at me and then he pulled out the gun. Like, you have no heart to do that," she said.
In hindsight, Hurndon says she should have met the buyer in a more public place – something Dallas police say is paramount for safety.
"Choose the location like a food court, and let the other party know that we're going to be going to a high pedestrian traffic area where there are cameras, we're going to sit down and we're going to make the trade," said Dallas Police Maj. Jimmy Vaughan.
Vaughan says, sadly, at times these types of trades have turned deadly for sellers this year.
Hurndon says in her case, it looks like they got the guy.
Carlos Young, 18, was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery.
"They've been looking for him for about a year, because he'd been doing it to a lot of people," she said. "Nobody knew what he looked like. I gave them the right features of his face because I stared at him for a long time."
OfferUp released a statement that read, in part, "We do not tolerate criminal activity, which is why we continue to work closely with the Dallas Police Department. Information on guidelines for secure transactions is available on the OfferUp website."
