Bethlehem Man’s Car, Wallet, Phone Stolen at ‘Offerup’ Arranged Meetup

Pennsylvania State Police at Bethlehem are warning area residents to use caution when arranging to make a purchase or sale on popular websites such as Offerup.com, after a 47-year-old Bethlehem man was the victim of a robbery following a meetup he arranged.

In a news release issued Tuesday, police said the man arranged to meet an individual to purchase an item in a section of the parking lot of Target, 912 Airport Center Drive, Hanover Township, Lehigh County, on Dec. 6.

Shortly before 8:45 p.m., police said the man was seated in his 2007 silver Honda Accord when two Hispanic men approached him.

One of the men got into the passenger seat of the car while the other man pointed a handgun at the victim and had him get out of the car, police said.

The men then fled with the car and the man’s phone and wallet.

“At this time the vehicle has not been located,” police said.

Police recommended that anyone purchasing or selling items using websites like Offerup.com follow these precautions, which they said won’t necessarily prevent a robbery from happening:

• Do not meet at night or in dimly lit places.
• Do not meet in places that are unfamiliar to you.
• Meet at locations where there is heavy foot traffic, and preferably inside the location.
• Do not let a buyer or seller know where you parked or what type of vehicle you’re driving.

On the Offerup site’s Trust & Safety page, the company has a code of conduct posted that states “we prohibit acts of violence, verbal or written suggestions of violence, and any attempt to intimidate, harass, or otherwise violate the safety and wellbeing of others.”

The site also includes a resources page for what Offerup terms its “Law Enforcement Partners.”

Anyone with information about the robbery that occurred at Target should contact state  police at Bethlehem at 610-861-2026.

Google Maps Street View images show that the store parking lot is equipped with surveillance cameras, but police didn’t release any surveillance images Tuesday.