Man robbed at gunpoint after trying to purchase moped for son through Facebook Marketplace

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A Chicago man came to Milwaukee to buy a moped from someone posing as a seller on Facebook. Instead, the man was robbed. The man said he let his guard down because he felt that Facebook was a safer route than other selling sites; adding that pictures, profiles, and personal information made him feel as if the exchange would have no harm included.

"I was looking for a moped. I wanted to get a moped this summer to fix up with my son."

For several days, Tony Williams had gone back and forth with a seller on the Facebook Marketplace.

"Eventually I got his phone number and we talked to each other, we texted, and then I actually talked to him. I called and he called me," Williams said.

Feeling confident about the legitimacy of the sale, the men arranged to meet in Milwaukee at the seller's mother's house.

Once Williams arrived, the seller was nowhere in sight.

"He said, 'I'm sorry I couldn't make it over to my mom's house. I was supposed to get a ride over there. Can you come get me?'"

Williams drove to the new location where the seller got into his car and his dash cam video caught their exchange on camera.

"I saw him reaching into his belt and that's when he pulled out a gun," Williams said.

In a matter of seconds, the suspect took $150 in cash and was gone.

"All the credibility I gave to this person was because I knew them. When he walked up to the car, it was like I was talking to a buddy on Facebook.

Police confirmed that they are currently searching for a known suspect.

Williams tried to reach out to Facebook but hasn't heard back and since then all trace of the robber has been deleted. 

"What are ways that they're trying to protect people? I was 100% duped and lured into this because I trusted Facebook, not this person I didn't know."

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