In one of the most unusual robberies to date, a man wrestled a bag of cash from an armored truck guard with pepper spray and then escaped after using unsuspecting decoys solicited from a Craigslist ad to distract witnesses.
The bogus Craigslist ad offered $28.50 an hour to anyone who waited near the bank wearing a blue, long-sleeved shirt, yellow safety vest, eye protection, and ventilator mask.
The FBI is now trying to trace the ad.
A similar ploy was used in the movie 'The Thomas Crown Affair,' in which an art thief wearing a trench coat and bowler hat steals a masterpiece from a museum as security guards are distracted by lookalikes that the crook had hired.
Abetting Crimes on Craigslist
Thief Recruited Unspecting Decoys Online
Trend Themes
1. Online Crime Recruitment - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop advanced algorithms to detect and flag suspicious online recruitment activities for criminal activities.
2. Deceptive Craigslist Ads - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create a verification system for Craigslist ads to prevent fraudulent postings and protect users.
3. Criminal Use of Decoys - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Design innovative security measures to identify and neutralize the use of decoys in criminal activities.
Industry Implications
1. Cybersecurity - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop cutting-edge technologies to combat cybercrime and protect users from online scams.
2. Online Marketplace Platforms - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate AI-powered algorithms to identify and remove fraudulent listings on online marketplace platforms, ensuring user safety.
3. Physical Security Systems - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create advanced surveillance systems to detect and track criminal activities, enhancing overall security in public spaces.