If you share the post as requested, you could be helping scammers
of ConsumerAffairs-
Posts about missing teens on Facebook may appear legitimate and urge users to share, but some are scams designed to go viral and later be edited into fraudulent ads.
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Scammers wait for widespread sharing by well-meaning users, then change the original post into a fake rental ad, using the reach to lure victims.
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Clicking the link in the altered post can lead to a bogus site requesting personal information, potentially leading to identity theft and hidden subscription fees.
Youre scrolling through your Facebook feed, and you see a post from someone in your city asking for help finding a missing teen. She has been gone for 48 hours since she left a friends house, and the post shows a picture of her.
It takes two seconds to share, the post points out, asking everyone to get the word out.
However, before you hit the share button, you should know this: its probably a scam.
But the person posting the message hasnt asked you to do anything but share the post how could that be harmful? A scam investigator, whose YouTube channel is Pleasant Green, did a deep dive and found the same post on community sites all over YouTube. The missing teen had actually been found safe and sound, in another part of the country, weeks earlier. So, whats going on?
Bait and switch
The investigator waited a couple of days, then returned to the missing teen post. Lo and behold, it had transformed into a real estate ad for a local rental at a ridiculously cheap rent. The scammer had waited while the post got massive distribution from kind-hearted people who were trying to help, then edited the post to make it an ad for rental property they didnt own.
The investigator clicked on the link in the ad and was taken to a phony real estate website where he was invited to submit a rental application. The process included providing sensitive information such as name, address, Social Security number and other information that could be used to steal an identity.
Also, some victims said they agreed to a $1 fee to get their credit score but were socked wirth a $39.99 monthly fee they couldnt cancel without canceling their credit card.
According to the investigator, review sites are loaded with negative reviews, warning others to stay away from this scam. The complete video is below.
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Posted: 2025-05-12 11:15:34
