Social media has become a life-changing tool in the search for missing people, but it has also become a breeding ground for scams. A new scheme on Facebook involves fake posts about missing children, using recycled photos of children who were either previously missing or never missing at all.
These fraudulent posts are typically shared in community Facebook groups, designed to tug at heartstrings and generate widespread shares.
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One of the biggest indicators of these fake posts is that scammers often turn off the comments. If a child were genuinely missing, the comments would remain active to help boost the post’s visibility as people comment and share.
Above are some examples of fake missing person stories shared online. The children’s faces have been blurred in the photos to protect their identities. One such post falsely claims that Charlotte Sena went missing in Pasadena. In reality, Sena vanished while riding her bike during a family trip at Moreau Lake State Park on September 30, 2023, but was later found. Both posts were shared in Facebook groups with comments turned off.
To determine if a missing person post is real, watch for the following red flags shared by National Center for Missing & Exploited Children:
- Source credibility: The information should come from the NCMEC, an official law enforcement agency, or a credible news source.
- Spelling and grammar: Beware of posts containing misspellings, improperly used words, or syntax errors.
- Call to action: Legitimate posts will ask you to take appropriate action and provide clear instructions on how to help.
- Identifying information: Ensure the post includes specific details about the child, such as their name, the date they went missing, and the location they were last seen.
Good missing person posters should include:
- The child’s name
- The date they went missing
- The location they are missing from
- The law enforcement agency handling the case, their phone number, or NCMEC’s 24/7 hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST