Man Says He Was Robbed At Gunpoint During Social Media Sale

A man who says he went to a home in Hartland to buy something he saw on social media told deputies that he was robbed.

It's everyone's worst nightmare when setting up a meeting with someone selling an item on social media. A man told the Somerset County Sheriff's Office that he went to a home on the Brown Road in Hartland on Sunday just after 3:00, to purchase something he'd seen advertised on a social media site.

WGME-TV reports the man told investigators he was met by several men who were armed with handguns. The victim says he was robbed of his cash and struck on the head with one of the firearms before the men ran off. A subsequent search for the suspects involved deputies from the Somerset and Penobscot County Sheriff's Offices and the Maine State Police, but there was no sign of them. Now, officials are asking for the public's help.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Somerset County Sheriff's Office at (207) 858-9527 or (207) 474-6386.

Law Enforcement Officials encourage residents to seek public spots for online purchase exchanges, rather than going to someone's private address. Most local police agencies offer their departments' parking lots as possible exchange sites. If someone refuses to meet outside a police station, it's a good indication that there's something fishy about the sale.