Beware of common bait-and-switch social media posts

Prince George

2024-05-16 12:13 PDT

Prince George RCMP is cautioning the public to be wary of sharing or forwarding a particular type of social media post known as a heartbreaking post. In this type of bait-and-switch scam, the original poster is usually asking for help in finding the owners of a lost dog or the parents of a lost child and social media users are encouraged to share the information in hopes of spreading awareness of what appears to be a gut-wrenching and attention-grabbing issue.

What happens after the information has been shared is the original poster then changes their post, usually to a deceptive rental add or fraudulent contest, often with the promise of a cash payout. When your friends and family see this on your social media page, they believe it to be legitimate and are more likely to click the link, thinking it has been endorsed and vetted by you, states Cpl. Jennifer Cooper, Media Relations Officer for the Prince George RCMP. Once they have clicked through to the link, they could be asked to share personal information, which can lead to identity theft, or they will be asked for a deposit on the fake rental property.

One such scam was caught by social media users and reported to the Prince George RCMP on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. A quick search revealed the same post had been made by the original poster in several other marketplace pages in different towns throughout North America – a good indication the information is false.

 
Photo showing the heartbreaking post in the Prince George BC Buy Sell Trade Free social media group. Click here for larger image.
Text:  Prince George BC Buy Sell Trade Free * Join
This little boy, approximately 2 years old, was found in #PrinceGeorge 1 hour ago. Officers have the child safe at the Police Station but we have no idea where he lives. No one has called looking for him. Please Bump this post .

Photo showing the heartbreaking post in the High Desert Deals and Discussion social media group. Click here for larger image.
Text: High Desert Deals and Discussion * Join
This little boy, approximately 2 years old, was found in #hesperia 1 hour ago. Officers have the child safe at the Police Station but we have no idea where he lives. No one has called looking for him. Please Bump this post .

Photo showing the heartbreaking post in the Pierce County Online Yard Sale social media group. Click here for larger image. 
Text: Pierce County Online Yard Sale * Join
This little boy, approximately 2 years old, was found in #patterson 1 hour ago. Officers have the child safe at the Police Station but we have no idea where he lives.

Here are some ways to keep yourself from falling for these heartbreaking social media posts:

• Run a search of the original poster’s name to see if their account is legitimate. Often, the original poster will have numerous social media accounts on a single platform, few friends, or the accounts is very new, which should all be red flags.
• Search the key words to see if the same post has been made elsewhere, especially if they have targeted other cities further away from your own town.
• Perform a reverse image search to see if the image has been used for other purposes before sharing.
• Be sure to avoid clicking links that you cannot verify as coming from a legitimate source. If you aren’t certain if a link is legitimate, go to the parent website on your own or log into your online account to verify if the actual company is requesting you to visit their website.
• Report the post to the social media platform so it can be taken down.

For more ways to keep yourself and your family safe online, visit our Online Safety page.

Released by:

Email: princegeorge_media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Website: princegeorge.rcmp-grc.gc.ca

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