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Inside Out

Beware before you share

Jeanne Sager
Posted 11/22/22

They pop up on Facebook again and again: Photos of missing elders, runaway teens, lost dogs.  

They target the most basic level of emotions: The human need for connection. When we see that …

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Inside Out

Beware before you share

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They pop up on Facebook again and again: Photos of missing elders, runaway teens, lost dogs. 

They target the most basic level of emotions: The human need for connection. When we see that others have disconnected, we react. We hit share because we care.

Unfortunately, we've just become the latest victims of the scam sweeping Facebook. 

That missing elder? That runaway teen? That lost dog?

They're fake. 

They do not exist. 

Sure, the caption assures you that this is happening right here in Sullivan County. But what you don't realize is they're perpetrating the same scam around the country. That caption will be rewritten to name other locales when it's shared on other localized Facebook pages. 

The goal, of course, is to get you to hit "share" and spread the message far and wide. Within a few days, however, suddenly the information will be edited — after all, it's their post that you've shared, so they have the ability to make changes. The photo will be changed, along with the caption, which will now promote bitcoin or some similar moneymaking "opportunity" meant to sucker your friends and loved ones.

These scams are popping up like mad in Sullivan County of late, and I'm seeing people I love fall prey often — because they are caring, compassionate people trying to help someone else. 

I hate seeing people I love be hurt. I'd hate to see anyone you love be hurt. 

So what's the answer? Just stop sharing about missing dogs and lost family members? Of course not!

But here are a few red flags to keep in mind:

1. Check to see if comments have been turned off on the Facebook post. If someone REALLY wanted to know about their missing loved one or that puppy they found, wouldn't they want you to be able to comment and actually reach them?

2. Check the account of the person who created the post. Often their account will be brand-new with few or no friends.

3. Run a reverse image search. Download the image that's being shared, then head to images.google.com. Use the option to upload an image and let Google search the internet to find out where the photo originated. One image being shared of late that claimed to be a missing Sullivan County teen actually showed a child missing from St. Louis!

Spot a scam? Report it! 

Shared a scam? Delete the post from your feed, and be kind to yourself. You had good intentions, even if others did not. 

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