Police say two Houston teen suspects are on the run after allegedly staging scams on Facebook Marketplace and then robbing victims.

Arlando Lyles, 17, is wanted for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and larceny from a person, and Christian Ray Pickett, 18, is wanted for larceny from a person. According to the Houston Police Department (HPD), additional charges are pending.

Lyles and Pickett are at least two suspects wanted in a series of Facebook Marketplace-related incidents in which suspects pose as sellers with fake profiles, meet face-to-face with buyers and then rob them, HPD’s Robbery Division said in a press release.

HPD officials believe there may be additional suspects posing as fake sellers on Facebook Marketplace. According to investigators, the robberies have occurred in at least 15 locations since September 21, with 15 different victims.

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Facebook Marketplace is a subsection of Facebook where any user can buy or sell items from other users.

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While the social media sales platform has certain protections in place for buyers, it is rife with scammers who use fake profile pictures and names to impersonate other people online. For example, a scammer might use a fake profile picture showing an older couple or young family to look like a realistic salesperson.

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According to HPD, the 15 robberies since September occurred in “various apartment complex parking lots in southeast Houston.”

Lyles allegedly pointed a gun at the mother of a family of five who were driving together in their vehicle to a meeting point while the woman’s 15-year-old son was just feet away. According to ABC 13, the father and his two other children, ages 8 and 10, sought shelter in the vehicle.

They wanted to buy a PlayStation 5 from Lyles, with whom the 15-year-old mother had chatted extensively on Facebook Marketplace before their meeting, mostly in Spanish. However, when they arrived at the meeting point and Lyles didn’t speak Spanish, the 15-year-old felt like something was wrong, according to ABC 13.

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“It’s cash, ma’am. I’ve had a lot of bad experiences just recently, nothing against you,” Lyles allegedly said in a message before meeting in a parking lot where he allegedly proposed.

When things went wrong, the 15-year-old and his mother got out of their vehicle to complete the transaction. Lyles allegedly demanded to see the $250 cash they had brought to purchase the PlayStation before handing it over.

“I got out of the car, then my mom got out of the car and when I went to open it, he reached into his pocket, pulled out (a gun) and then pointed it at mom to give him the money, and then he ran even with the PS5,” the 15-year-old told ABC 13.

“Once the buyer arrives at the location, the suspects rob the victim by pointing a firearm at him and then taking his money,” according to a news release from the HPD Robbery Division.

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Their whereabouts were unknown as of Wednesday morning and police are still asking the public for help in finding the two wanted teenagers. They are asking anyone who saw Lyles or Pickett to contact police.

In a video posted by PSA on HPD’s becoming a victim.”

“Look for things like profile pictures and account activity as good signs,” Lee said. “Many of these accounts we see are empty accounts that are only used a few times.”

The suspects often offer deals that are “too good to be true” and determine the meeting point at which they connect with buyers, Lee said.

Police ask anyone with information about these robberies to contact Crime Stoppers of Houston directly at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or submit an online tip at www.crime-stoppers.org. Information leading to an arrest may result in a cash payment of up to $5,000.

Original source of the article: Facebook Marketplace Shoppers Terrorized at Gunpoint After Teens Lured Victims with Christmas Gifts: Police