The authorities warn Quebecers against unscrupulous crooks who publish false notices of missing children on social networks, so that these messages go viral and then scam Internet users.
“It frustrates me a lot to see this. We obviously invite people to report all these publications, ”denounces Mélanie Aubut, executive director of Réseau Enfants-Retour, an organization offering front-line services to families whose young person is missing.
She was reacting to a fraudulent message published on January 21 in Facebook announcing the false disappearance of a boy in Montreal. Mme Aubut quickly spotted the scam since the police and Réseau Enfants-Retour had not heard of this child.
“My son, Brayden Hudson, left this morning with our dog Hank. He is autistic and has been missing for eight hours; if anyone sees it, please write to me”, can we read in English in this publication shared more than 1650 times.
Screenshot from the Buy/Sell Montreal Facebook page
This publication announces the false disappearance of young Brayden Hudson in Montreal. The Journal found the same on several Facebook groups in many cities in Canada and the United States. Each time, the name and the clichés used are the same. Only the region is changed by the scammer.
New in Facebook
The newspaper has also found dozens of fraudulent publications in Facebook, where it is announced that Brayden Hudson had disappeared in several regions, both in Canada and the United States.
Each time, the message and the photo remained the same. However, the scammers took the time to change the name of the city where the child was wanted.
“It was a problem that existed in MSN or in the email chains. But for a few months, we see that it has now returned to social networks, ”notes the director general of the Réseau Enfants-Retour.
But could this type of scam eventually undermine the credibility of an organization like his, where real opinions about missing minors are shared?
“It can always cause us problems, especially in cases where we really need the publication to be shared in large numbers on social networks to quickly find the child,” worries Mélanie Aubut.
Beware
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Center (CAFC) confirms that it is aware of this scam in the country, but specifies that it has no statistics on the subject.
“The purpose of these missing child announcements is to motivate social media users to share them in large numbers. After a while, the fraudster changes the missing child ad for a fraudulent advertisement for merchandise, service, etc.,” explained Jeff Horncastle of the CAFC, in an email addressed to our representative.
Mr. Horncastle also invites the public to check if there is an alert from local police for any missing person, before sharing an opinion.
“It is important not to share information that has not been verified since we can put all our contacts at risk,” he warns.
The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) is also aware of the phenomenon.
“You can look at the Facebook account of the individual who posted the wanted poster. If the creation of the account in question is recent, there are few subscribers or friends, only one photo, there is a good chance that it is a fake, ”warns the SPVM.
Global problem
Note that this type of fraud does not only take place in Quebec.
The newspaper found dozens of publications from police forces in the United States or Australia, where false notices of the disappearance of children or pets are denounced.
Screenshot from the Huron Police Department Facebook page
Police in the city of Huron, South Dakota in the United States, deplored this phenomenon on the rise last month.
“Residents are being made aware of a nationwide internet scam being spread from social media accounts in Suffolk County. Detectives have determined that a message about a missing boy, Tyler Griffin, is a hoax and that there is no missing child by that name”, already alerted in November 2022 a New State police force. York, United States.
Screenshot taken from the Facebook page Warwick – Ri Open discussion Group
Screenshot taken from the San Angelo Police Department Facebook page
Screenshot from St. Pauls Police Department Facebook page
Screenshot from the City of Ardamore – Police Department Facebook page
Screenshot from the Suffolk police department Facebook page
Screenshot from the Buckner Police Department Facebook page
How to spot a fake missing child notice in Facebook?
- Beware of new accounts in Facebook, where there are few friends and publications
- Only share a notice from an official body or local police force
- Search the internet for the name of the missing person before sharing a review, to ensure the credibility of the information
Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Center and the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal
