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Missing girl scam is slammed by officials who confirm viral Gracie Mae Thompson pics are sick attempt to hack accounts
How to spot the signs of a scam and what to look for on a missing persons poster
THE National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has warned social media users of the horrific attempts from scammers to hack accounts with fake missing children posters.
Earlier this week, a fake missing persons poster circulated social media claiming a girl named Gracie Mae Thompson was missing in Odessa, Texas.
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The original post appeared to be someone claiming she was Gracie's mother.
The catch was - no one by the name of Gracie Mae Thompson existed.
The Odessa Police Department confirmed to The U.S. Sun that no record of a Gracie Mae Thompson or a missing person report was filed under that name.
The NCMEC also told The U.S. Sun that there was no record of her in their database.
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Angeline Hartmann, the Director of Communications at the NCMEC, said the missing persons photo was a "scam from top to bottom."
'IT'S TERRIBLE'
Hartmann spoke to The U.S. Sun about the dramatic uptick in missing person scams online and its detrimental impact on finding real missing children.
“It’s a scam - it’s a hoax and it’s terrible," she said.
The NCMEC is a private, non-profit corporation that works to find missing children and prevent child sexual exploitation, and victimization.
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The organization works with law enforcement, families, and victims to advocate for children.
Last year, the NCMEC assisted with over 28,000 cases of mission children and has helped bring over 426,000 missing children home in the last 40 years, according to the organization.
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Scams like the Gracie Mae Thompson photo impede the NCMEC and law enforcement's ability to locate missing children.
Hartmann explained that when scams go viral it takes away resources from them.
She named the viral scam photos a top concern as the NCMEC has wasted time fielding fake inquiries from the public instead of focusing on actual victims.
"Bad people are out there praying on good people using the idea that you can help a missing child," she said.
It’s a scam - it’s a hoax and it’s terrible."
Angeline Hartmann
HOW IT HAPPENS
Scammers can mimic the format of missing person posters and oftentimes use pictures of former missing children.
Hartmann saw cases of scammers recirculating posters using the same photo and name, even though the child had already been found.
The scams can bring back real trauma for families who are still recovering from missing a child.
The motives behind the scams can range from wanting money, hacking into social media accounts, and even simply just for the likes and shares online.
Hartmann said legitimate organizations and law enforcement officials won't ask the public for money when sharing information about a missing child.
She warned social media users to be weary of posts that have a donation ask.
What to look for in missing persons posters
Scammers often circulate fake missing persons posters online. It's important to be cautious when sharing photos and know the signs of a scam. Take a look at some tips below,
Red flags
- You don't recognize where the information is coming from
- The post contains misspellings or improperly used words
- The post doesn't share how you can take action
- A donation link or ask for money is included in the post
Green flags
- The post is shared by the NCMEC, official law enforcement agencies, or credible news sources
- The posters include the child's name, the date they went missing, the location where they were last seen, and the law enforcement agency handling the case
- The post also includes a number to a law enforcement official you can report tips to, the NCMEC'S hotline, or 1-800-THE-LOST
Source: NCMEC
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Hartmann advocated for users to do their due diligence when sharing missing persons posters online.
The information should come from a legitimate organization, law enforcement, or a credible local news outlet.
Users should also be cautious of posters with misspellings or improperly used words.
It's important to look for posters that include the child's name, the date they went missing, and the law enforcement agency handling the case.
Even though these additional steps may take a few more seconds than just blindly sharing viral photos, Hartmann said the organization needs help from the public.
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She added that those who want to help can see if there are missing children in their community on the NCMEC database.
“We don’t want to let the scammers win - we want the good people to keep on doing good and we can’t do this alone," she told The U.S. Sun.
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How the missing child scam works
Take a look at some information below on how the missing child scam happens,
- Scammers can take former missing children posters and re-share them after they were already found
- Photos of real children are often used in scam posts that aren't missing
- Scammers may use the post as a way to get money by including a fake donation link
- Sometimes the scam is simply just for likes and shares