A male and female duo allegedly lured at least three victims into gunpoint robberies by arranging fake sales on Facebook Marketplace and other social media and dating apps, striking twice on the same South Side block within a two-week span. Chicago police issued the warning over the weekend after the string of setup robberies hit the Greater Grand Crossing community area, urging residents to think twice before meeting a stranger from an online listing in person.
According to CBS Chicago, the robberies happened in the 400 block of West 76th Street twice — on Sept. 17 at 9:50 p.m. and again on Sept. 29 at 10:30 p.m. — and a third time in the 7500 block of South Eggleston Avenue around midnight on Oct. 7. In each case, police say the suspects contacted victims online before robbing them at gunpoint once they showed up for the supposed transaction.
Calumet Area detectives are the contact for information about the robberies under case number P25-02-016CA, and police are asking anyone with information to call 312-747-8273 or submit an anonymous tip through CPDTIP.com. No arrests have been announced in connection with the three robberies.
A Known Playbook for Online Sales Gone Wrong
This is not the first time Chicago police have had to warn residents about marketplace meetups turning violent. In August, officers stopped an armed robber during an online marketplace meetup in Lakeview, recovering the stolen laptop and a firearm, according to that Hoodline report.
To counter exactly this kind of ambush, the Chicago Police Department maintains Safe Exchange Zones in the public lobbies of all 22 district stations citywide, which are well-lit and monitored. Two locations in the 19th District are open 24/7. Institutions have followed suit, too — the University of Illinois Chicago Police Department runs its own 24-hour monitored exchange zone at 943 W. Maxwell St., though it explicitly bars transactions involving weapons, contraband, or oversized goods.
Buyers and sellers are encouraged to meet in public, monitored places rather than at homes or secluded locations. Oak Brook guidance says a request to meet in a police lobby can serve as a test, since people with bad intentions typically refuse.
Other Alerts in the Same South Side Pocket
The marketplace robberies come amid a separate public safety concern in the same part of the city. An Oct. 5 Instagram post from chicagoflipsred described an overnight burglary spree that reportedly hit four businesses along the 75th Street corridor.
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Greater Grand Crossing falls under Chicago's 3rd Police District, headquartered at 7040 South Cottage Grove Avenue and commanded by John Cleggett, a 26-year department veteran who previously served as the district's tactical lieutenant, according to the Chicago Police Department. The district also covers Hyde Park, Woodlawn, South Shore, Washington Park, and Englewood.
Legal Stakes for Armed Robbery Suspects
Whoever is ultimately charged in the three robberies would face serious consequences under Illinois law. Armed robbery committed with a firearm is a Class X felony under 720 ILCS 5/18-2, carrying a mandatory sentence of 21 to 45 years in state prison — a 6-year base minimum plus a mandatory 15-year firearm enhancement — with no chance of probation.
