West Shore RCMP is looking for a suspect believed to have assaulted one person and robbed another during two Facebook Marketplace sales.

Both incidents, reported on Sunday Jan. 5, involved an iPhone for sale.

The first incident took place near the 800 block of Hockley Avenue at approximately 7 p.m.

A seller agreed to meet with a male suspect to facilitate the sale of an iPhone, said the RCMP in a news release. The suspect is alleged to have attempted to steal the iPhone from the seller, assaulting them in the process before running on foot towards Goldstream Avenue.

The second incident took place later that evening at approximately 7:30 p.m. outside the 3100 block of Jacklin Avenue.

According to the RCMP, the seller agreed to meet with the suspect, who allegedly stole the iPhone, running away from the scene on foot.

Police conducted extensive patrols of the respective areas at the time of the reports but did not locate the suspect.

The suspect is described as between 15 and 20 years old, of Middle Eastern descent, with brown curly hair, brown eyes and a clean-shaven face. He was wearing a green zip-up hoodie, black baggy pants, and white Air Force-style shoes.

Police ask anyone who may know who the suspect could be or have information that could help, to call 250-474-2264. Anonymous reports can be made online or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The two incidents have prompted a warning from the RCMP about the "inherent risk" of selling or purchasing items directly from unknown persons.

They advise the public to take safety precautions when engaging in online digital selling platforms such as Facebook Marketplace.

Safety tips suggested by the RCMP include:

• Meet up during the daylight hours;
• Pick a well-lit place to meet up that is known to have video surveillance; a police detachment is a good choice;
• Take a friend or family member with you to the meet;
• Rely on contactless pickup when possible, using secure electronic money transfers for payment.

For more information and safety tips regarding online digital marketplace, visit the website: .