Police have issued a warning about dealing with strangers over the internet after a man was robbed at gunpoint yesterday.

Detective Russell Crawford says the authorities were alerted to the incident after a distraught man flagged down a passing patrol car on State Highway 3 in Otorohanga at about 4pm.

A man robbed at gunpoint has prompted police to warn people about dealing with strangers.

'It appears our victim has driven up from New Plymouth to Hamilton yesterday morning to purchase a motorbike he saw for sale on a Facebook-based site that specialises in selling motorbikes,” Russell explains.

'He had arranged to meet the seller at the Five Crossroads shops, but when he arrived, the ‘seller' advised him to go to a Gordonton property.

'When the victim arrived a Caucasian male opened a farm gate to let the victim's car and trailer in and suddenly he found himself confronted by a second male brandishing a firearm.”

Russell says the victim was understandably traumatised by what happened, with the offenders making him lie on the ground and threatening to shoot him several times.

'The pair have taken the victim's money he intended purchasing the motorbike with and fled in a getaway vehicle driven by a third offender,” he adds.

'The man was so shaken he didn't call 111 and instead began to drive home, flagging down the first police car he saw which was in Otorohanga.

'Obviously, with the benefit of hindsight, police would recommend calling 111 immediately but the man was obviously in an emotional and stressed state.

While police work closely with a number of internet-based selling companies, the number of social media-based operations is increasing all the time and they urge potential buyers to take consider the following safety precautions:

*Where possible, avoid paying cash and make a bank payment so there is an auditable trail of the transaction.

*Avoid carrying a large sum of cash, and if you must use this form of payment, ensure you go with someone else and conduct the transaction in a well-lit, public place where you can be seen.

*Obtain as much detail of the seller as you can prior to the purchase such as their name, phone number, address or any other identifiable piece of information.

*Remember, if the deal seems too good to be true it probably is, and by buying that super deal you may make yourself the next victim.

*Never use a money transfer service to send money overseas.

*Keep all emails, texts and messages exchanged with the seller.