Before You Share, Beware!

Social media is a powerful tool that can be used for good or bad. That includes missing person alerts. Many posted online have the added plea, “It only takes seconds to share.” Verifying that a missing person report is legitimate and still active also takes a few seconds. For years, I’ve noticed many of these cases have been resolved and need to stop circulating. 

In recent months, more missing child alerts have become phishing scams. Facebook posts about so-called missing children are later changed to something one might be selling or lead to a link to extract money from people. Unless it’s your child or someone you know, it’s best not to share these alerts until you do some research. A website called TinEye allows one to do a reverse image search. There’s also a national database available to verify if a child is missing. 

Here are some red flags to look for when you see a missing person alert on Facebook:

1. The post came from a “buy and sell” group instead of a law enforcement or advocacy agency.
2. The post has spelling errors.
3. The post has no contact information for tips on the child's whereabouts.
4. The comments on the original post are turned off, so no one can respond with additional info or let others know the missing person has been found. 
5. The person who made the post has many others like it on their profile page.

Christians should use discernment and avoid assisting these scammers. Fake alerts take time away from the real missing person cases. One can help the missing be found without spreading misinformation. 

“Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” - Matthew 10:16