Missing person scams on social media are getting worse, and many people believe fake posts without checking.
Scammers use emotional stories to steal money or personal information from kind-hearted people like you.
In this blog, you will learn how these scams work, why they are so dangerous, and easy tips to stay safe so you don’t fall for any tricks while using Facebook or other social apps.
Examples of Missing Persons Scams
Anyone who thinks for a second before sharing a missing person scam post does so because they can’t imagine how this could be a scam.
But what if that “missing sister” post isn’t actually from the brother of the person seeking help but a violent estranged husband? People searching for someone could be doing it for all sorts of reasons, which could put the person in the photo at risk, she said. It can also be just a prank that’s not too funny to the person from whom a photo was pilfered and used.
Examples of this person-tracking scam include:
- Missing child
- Need help finding long lost relative
- Find this person I saw steal my (phone/car/dog, etc.)
Missing Sister Scam
For example, A missing person scam occurred in April 2019 and featured an emotional post stating that the subject’s 10-year-old sister was missing after having it out with a classmate after school and going outside.
The scam included a link (which likely pointed to a fake or malicious site). But keen-eyed users quickly caught on to the scam when it was pointed out that the date the post said that the sister went missing after school was a holiday, meaning schools were closed that day.
“Alice” Isn’t Really Missing
Another common missing child hoax claims that “Alice from (location) was kidnapped! Anyone saw her? Please help us find her.”
This post has been read predominantly in the UK, but the internet knows no borders, and so it can reach any part of this vast world. It reportedly purports to come from a Polish domain and is a scam intended to harvest login credentials.
THE POST IS A SCAM, END OF STORY. A few of the replies that appear below the post are scams designed to add validity.
If someone clicks the link in the post they’re taken to a page that tries to get them to watch a fake video and also tries to steal their Facebook password.
How to Avoid Missing Persons Scams on Social Media
“How can sharing a post hurt anything? is often what goes through a person’s mind when they post a scam missing person’s post.
However, even if you don’t click on a malicious link, one of your friends you share the post with may. Here are a few ways to avoid being a victim of this type of scam — and others.
Look at the Profile of the Post Originator
These scam posts are frequently from “bot” accounts which have been created for the sole purpose of promoting a scam.
Being suspicious of the post originator if they have a profile without the expected personal posts and that they have only just been set up are two factors indicating a possibly fake account sending scam posts.
You might have to click a few times into a thread to find out who made the original post. For instance, a friend who shared a shared post from someone set up by anyone other than the originator of the post.
Review the Post with a Critical Eye
Do any facts or language in the post seem a bit off? Like, is the post alleging somebody went missing from the US Is the post written in a slang from a foreign country? (Like referring to a gas station as a petrol station).
Some of these missing person scams are exposed as their details in the post don’t jibe with the facts (school was closed on the day that a poster claimed a child disappeared after school for example).
Read Comments and Search Details Online
Some of these have fake comments at the top of that post. Real users will comment too and alert others that this is a scam.
Scroll through the comment, also realizing that some of the early ones may be false, for signs of a warning.
Some of you can also browse the key information of the post on social networking sites via Google.
Is Your Computer Protected from Malicious Websites?
RCOR’s computer experts from North Carolina are here to help you avoid online scams. through barriers such as DNS filtering that prevent access to malicious websites.
Call us now to arrange an appointment. Contact us online or at 919-263-5570.