By ‘Missing’ scam hits Grimsby
A ‘missing’ scam which originated in the US has now begun circulating on social media in Grimsby.
A post which claims that an elderly man by the name of Robert Spall has gone missing, adding that he suffers with dementia and may be unable to return home safely without assistance, has begun appearing in local community groups on Facebook.
It states that a ‘silver alert’, which is a code for senior citizens who have gone missing in the US, has been issued.
The alert has been posted using dozens of fake profiles in different locations which can be idenfitied by their limited content and a creation date which is usually within the past week.
The post which has begun circulating locally reads: “FLOOD YOUR FEEDS! A Silver Alert has been issued for Robert Spall who went missing from Grimsby last night, he has dementia.”
Media sources and individuals across the globe have been tricked by the alert with thousands sharing the post across at least 500 community groups.
The post is being used as a rouse to lure unsuspecting people into following and joining the ‘search’, before they are eventually spammed with links which harvest personal data.
