SCAM ALERT: HPD warning residents of missing child report scams on Facebook

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - The Hattiesburg Police Department is warning area residents of ongoing scams.

According to HPD, there’s been an uptick in social media posts in buy-sell groups throughout Facebook that share details about a missing child. These posts often feature a photo of a child in an officer’s vehicle with only the patch of an agency shown.

HPD said these types of posts can reach large amounts of people. When the post reaches critical mass, the scammer will edit the post to include information about any number of scams designed to steal money or obtain information.

The police department said to be mindful of sharing content you see online and to make sure you check the date and the validity of the content.

HPD said if it needs help locating a missing child, that information will come directly from them or be shared with the media to reach you.

If you’re ever in doubt about a post, the police said don’t share it with your network. If you need help validating it, you can always share it with the HPD’s Facebook page for further investigation.

Want more WDAM 7 news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.