Roger-Luc Chayer (Image : AI / Gay Globe)
When a simple gesture can put your life in danger
When one of the most ordinary actions can put your life in danger, it needs to be talked about and understood.
Facebook Marketplace, a deadly tool for some
Marketplace, Facebook’s buying and selling platform, comparable to the classified ads of the Journal de Montréal or Kijiji, has in recent months become, for some, a deadly tool and, for others, a means to trap and assault homosexual people. This is what happened on January 18 to a 42-year-old American marine, Ryan Burke.
The tragedy of Michael Ryan Burke on Facebook Marketplace
According to People magazine, Michael Ryan Burke, 42, a decorated U.S. Marine veteran, was shot dead at his home in Columbia, Missouri, while he thought he was making a legitimate sale of an iPhone via Facebook Marketplace. The incident occurred on Sunday, January 18, around 8:15 p.m. Shot multiple times, Burke managed to call 911 to report that an individual who came to buy his phone had shot him, providing a description of his attackers. While waiting for help to arrive, he also sent a farewell message to his mother and sister, telling them he was dying and that he loved them. Transported to the hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
Arrests related to the murder and thefts on Marketplace
Two days later, the investigation led to the arrest of three 18-year-olds and one minor, charged with second-degree murder, armed robbery, and burglary. According to police, the group had targeted several iPhone sellers contacted through Facebook Marketplace in the days before the tragedy, sometimes using a firearm to steal the devices, which were then resold at automated kiosks. Messages found on Burke’s phone showed he had given his address for the sale of an iPhone 15 Pro shortly before a suspect replied that he had arrived.
The risks of selling goods online
This is where we are now: you put an item up for sale on the web and risk being shot at, or even killed, simply for a small sum of money. Yet, there are ways to protect yourself, and giving your personal address is absolutely no longer recommended.
Tips to secure your online transactions
Exchanges should take place in busy public places, ideally indoors, such as a shopping mall, a busy café, or better yet, in front of a police station, many of which now offer secure zones for private sales transactions. It is preferable to schedule meetings during the day, inform a trusted person of the time and place of the meeting, and, if possible, not go alone.
Beware also of recent, incomplete, or pushy profiles, refuse any pressure to close the deal quickly, and favor written communications within the platform, which leaves useful traces if problems arise. For valuable items, such as phones or electronics, it is recommended to request secure electronic payment before meeting or to conduct the transaction at a business that can immediately verify payment.
Marketplace, a tool to track homosexual people
Marketplace is also used to track homosexual people.
Thefts and assaults are already common on Marketplace, but a reality that is still too little publicized concerns the use of this platform to target and assault homosexual people.
Attackers generally exploit the very codes of classified ad platforms to identify and approach homosexual people without attracting attention. They post or respond to ads with credible, sometimes well-crafted profiles and engage in seemingly ordinary conversations around an item for sale or purchase. Over the exchanges, some use innuendos, ambiguous wording, or cultural references known within the LGBTQ+ community to establish a form of rapport and confirm the sexual orientation of their interlocutor. Once trust is established, they propose a meeting in an isolated or private place, often under the pretext of discretion, which then allows for assault, theft, or blackmail.
In other cases, public information from the Facebook profile, such as likes, followed groups, photos, or certain comments, is enough to target a person perceived as homosexual. Marketplace then becomes a mere pretext to provoke a meeting. These methods almost always rely on manipulation, time pressure, and the illusion of normality, making the trap difficult to detect.
That is why authorities and community organizations remind people to limit the information visible on their profiles, favor busy public places for any meeting, and be wary of exchanges that quickly drift away from the strict framework of the transaction.
How to avoid being assaulted during an online sale
Avoiding assault starts by adopting an active posture of caution, without falling into paranoia. When a transaction is considered, it is essential to keep exchanges strictly focused on the item being sold or bought and refuse any attempt at personal discussion, innuendos, or shifts to another topic. Giving your personal address exposes you unnecessarily: a meeting must always take place in a public, busy, well-lit place, and if possible, under surveillance, such as a business or a police station.
Caution also involves managing your online profile. Limiting public information, checking privacy settings, and being attentive to recent, incomplete, or inconsistent profiles helps reduce risks. Any pressure to hurry, change the meeting place at the last minute, or isolate the meeting must be perceived as a warning sign. Trusting your intuition is fundamental: if something feels strange or uncomfortable, it is better to cancel, even at the last moment. Finally, keep in mind that no sale, item, or amount of money justifies risking your physical safety — this remains the most important rule.
My personal experience and recommendations to secure sales
In my case, since I use social networks transparently for publications of Gay Globe, an openly LGBT media, it is clear that I am constantly exposed to possible attacks, thefts, or worse. That is why I never arrange meetings at my home to sell an item. When the item is portable, I systematically go to the nearest police station or post office to carry out the transaction, a practice encouraged by the police. All public places frequented and monitored by security cameras are suitable, such as government offices or medical clinics.
However, when it comes to furniture or items difficult to transport, too heavy to be moved by one person, I first conduct a thorough check of the buyer’s profile. I make sure I have their name and phone number, duly verified, before sharing my address. I also ask a friend to be present during the transaction.
In all cases, if the profile has no history or seems intended only to conceal the buyer’s real identity, I never proceed.
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