Des Plaines resident scammed after sending laptop to stranger via Uber, police say
A Des Plaines resident was ripped off when he used a ride-hailing service to deliver a laptop computer designed for gaming to a stranger in Chicago, police said this week.
The theft was reported Jan. 10.
The victim advertised the Dell computer for sale on Facebook, police said. He was contacted by an interested buyer, who asked him to order an Uber driver and have the computer delivered, by itself, to the 7200 block of South Yates Boulevard in Chicago, according to a news release.
That address is in a residential area on Chicago’s South Side.
The victim complied, sending the computer on its journey about 7 p.m. Jan. 9, police said. He never received payment or heard from the purported buyer again.
The computer was valued at $400, police said.
The theft remained under investigation Tuesday.
Des Plaines police spokesperson Katie Kozlowski recommends people conducting online sales choose safe, in-person locations.
“The Des Plaines police station has a large parking garage and also a front lobby where you can meet,” Kozlowski said. “If Des Plaines is not an ideal location, consider calling a local police station closer to your destination to see if they offer a similar area.”
Aurora police offer dedicated spots in their parking lot for such transactions. Wheeling, Naperville and Lake in the Hills police invite people to conduct legal transactions at their stations, too, among others.