Police Issue Warning After Several Craigslist Users Robbed

CARROLLTON (CBSDFW.COM) - Police in North Texas have a warning for anyone who buys things from internet sites like Craigslist. The alert comes after several people were robbed.

Police in Carrollton are searching for the armed suspects who robbed at least four people during separate Craigslist purchase meetings.

"When they arrange to meet with the suspects, the suspects will either use some type of deception or they'll produce a weapon and actually rob the victim of the cash they're carrying," explained Carrollton Police Department Public Information Officer John Stovall.

As police began to investigate the robberies they realized the crimes had several things in common, including the fact that the victims agreed to meet someone in an isolated business area. "What makes them unique is that they're [meeting locations] close to major roadways," said Stovall. "It allows the suspects to have easy access away from the location after they commit the offense."

In addition to finding those responsible for the crime Carrollton police are also trying to determine if the robberies are linked. "We have had varying descriptions of the suspects, so that would lead us to believe that either they [the crimes] are not connected or it's either a larger group that are working together with multiple suspects in them," said Stovall.

Police advise that whenever you meet a stranger to make sure it's in a populated area. Stovall advised, " We want people to use good judgment when meeting with someone they don't know, especially if they're gonna be carrying a large amount of cash with them."