Suspects Identified In Series Of 'OfferUp' App Rip-Offs

Date Added: October 26, 2018 4:25 pm

Andrew Gant
Office of Public Affairs & Media Relations

SUSPECTS IDENTIFIED IN SERIES OF ‘OFFERUP’ APP RIP-OFFS

Two suspects in a series of recent rip-offs of West Volusia residents using buy/sell apps like “Offerup” and “letgo” have been identified and are facing felony charges from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and DeLand Police Department.

This week, Volusia County sheriff’s detectives identified brothers Maurice Tony Swint Jr., 29 (DOB 6/12/1989), and Marquez Anthony Swint, 27 (DOB 12/18/1990), as the suspects in five VCSO cases involving the “OfferUp” app. Today, DeLand police arrested Marquez Swint in an additional DeLand PD case involving the “letgo” app.

The first VCSO case was last Friday, Oct. 19, when a Deltona man agreed to meet with OfferUp user “Massaratti Ski” at a Deltona preschool parking lot to sell a Google Pixel phone. After exchanging the phone for $400 in hundred dollar bills, the victim realized the money was fake. When he followed after the buyer to complain, he said the buyer warned: “I will shoot you in the parking lot.”

The next day, Saturday, another victim met Massaratti Ski at a Deltona Publix parking lot to sell him a Playstation 4 and games. The suspect provided more fake cash and got away with the items before the victim realized it. The same day, another victim had Massaratti Ski come to his Orange City residence to buy a motorized bicycle – again with $400 in fake cash. Then a victim in DeBary reported Massaratti Ski bought his moped with fake money and quickly rode away with the title. Two days later, on Monday afternoon, deputies responded to a DeLand victim who agreed to sell his motor scooter to Massaratti Ski, only to have the buyer steal it and leave him stranded at the tag office.

Earlier this week, Daytona Beach PD also released information about an armed robbery/carjacking incident in which the victim was robbed at gunpoint after arranging to cell his iPhone over the OfferUp app. That case is not believed to be connected to the cases for which the Swint brothers are now facing charges.

VCSO detectives have been working with DeLand PD, which arrested Marquez Swint today. He was being interviewed this afternoon and is facing charges from VCSO including robbery, organized scheme to defraud, grand theft and grand theft motor vehicle. Maurice Swint has not yet been arrested.

No one was injured in any of these incidents.

Buy/sell apps like OfferUp and letgo have become popular in recent years thanks to their convenience and the promise of generating some quick extra income. Unfortunately, criminals have also found this technology to be an extremely convenient means of identifying potential victims. We ask users of these apps to exercise skepticism and caution when dealing with strangers. For those who want to sell any item to a stranger, it’s a good idea to conduct that transaction in a busy, well-lit and very public area that is monitored by video surveillance. However, even taking those precautions won’t necessarily prevent a criminal from stealing your property.