Facebook Marketplace deal turns into robbery. Tips to protect yourself

MARTINEZ, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT/Gray News) — Three Augusta residents are facing robbery charges after deputies said they stole a PlayStation 5 during a Facebook Marketplace meetup.Columbia County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called Friday afternoon to Fierce Fitness for a reported “robbery by sudden snatch.”Investigators said a 23-year-old man arranged online to sell a PlayStation 5 for $500 and agreed to meet three buyers in the parking lot. When they arrived, the victim walked to the vehicle with the console and power cord so the buyers could plug it in and test it.After he handed the game console through a door, the man in the backseat slammed the door, and the driver sped away without paying.As deputies headed to the scene, license plate readers picked up the Ford Escape traveling into Richmond County. Deputies stopped the SUV a short time later and detained all three occupants. The stolen PlayStation was recovered in the vehicle, and deputies said they also seized marijuana and a firea