Signs & Wonders Blog

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: The post came from a “buy and sell” group instead of a law e...

It’s often been said, “Think before you speak.” As James 1:19 says, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” Nowadays with texting and emails, we should think twice before typing and posting something online. In the words of one pastor friend: “Put brain into gear before putting mouth/finger into action.” Too many people quickly share stuff on social media without checking its veracity. As a result, hoaxes have circulated for years such as the “ 22 Christian missionary families that will be executed today in Afghanistan. ” I have a policy not to forward any chain letter or meme and will block (but not unfriend) individuals who persist in sending me these messages. One type of chain letter that can have negative consequences is those involving missing people. I’ve received messages with pleas such as, “If it was your child, you would want all the help you could get.” If it was my child and he/she was found, I wou...