The sneaker meetup in Chicago turned into a setup

Marketplace robbery · Facebook · United States

I had been looking for limited sneakers and found a seller through OfferUp in Chicago. He seemed legit because he knew the model well, sent extra photos when I asked and even talked about receipt details. We agreed to meet near a train station in daylight.

What I missed was that he kept changing the exact spot at the last minute. First outside the station, then around the corner, then near a side street because he said police were bothering sellers nearby. That should have been enough for me to cancel.

When I got there, he was not alone. One guy showed me the box for half a second, then another stepped in and told me to hand over the cash if I did not want trouble. It was over in seconds. No sneakers, no seller, no chance to react. Just a fake resale meetup that had always been about the money.