Gracie Mae Thompson Missing 15-years-old teen last seen July 22?
A touching sad story that I ran to share and cry at the same time? Or A SCAM attempt to hack accounts?
"The Kittitas County community has been shaken by the disappearance of 15-year-old Gracie Mae Thompson, who has been missing for 15 days. Gracie was last seen on July 22nd, leaving her family and friends in a state of anxiety as they search for any clues about her whereabouts. ???
Gracie Mae Thompson is described as 5’2″ tall, weighing approximately 103 pounds. Her naturally strawberry blonde hair was recently dyed black, a significant detail that could help in identifying her. On the day she went missing, Gracie was wearing black shorts and a black shirt. ???
Her mother has taken to social media, sharing her daughter’s information in hopes of spreading awareness and bringing Gracie home. The emotional plea highlights the urgency of the situation, urging anyone with information to come forward. “My daughter has been missing since July 22nd! 15 days🥹 It only takes two seconds to share!” she wrote, emphasizing the importance of community involvement in the search effort. ???
Gracie’s disappearance has left her family devastated, and they are desperate for any information that could lead to her safe return. The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office has been notified, and they are actively investigating the case. However, no significant leads have emerged so far.
The community is urged to be vigilant and report any sightings or information that could assist in locating Gracie. Her family remains hopeful, clinging to the belief that Gracie will be found and returned home safely. ???
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office immediately. Time is of the essence, and every detail, no matter how small, could be crucial in reuniting Gracie with her loved ones.?"
Is Gracie Mae Thompson a real missing girl?
Gracie’s story has been tugging at the heartstrings of many.
But it’s unlikely Gracie is a real missing girl, according to Malware tips who have called the supposed ploy the “missing girl scam”.
If Gracie was a real missing girl then news sites and police would be reporting her disappearance.
Is Gracie Mae Thompson an internet scam?
The mysterious case of Gracie May is very possibly a scam, say Malware tips.
They reportedly often using slight variations of the name like “Graci May Thompson” or “Gracie Mae Thompson”.
The posts use emotive language to draw people in and boost the chances that well-meaning individuals will share the content.
But, there are several tell-tale signs Gracie’s disappearance is a hoax rather than a legitimate missing person case.
Firstly the post lacks a clear call-to-action with instructions on what to do if someone has information about the missing girl’s whereabouts.
Most genuine missing person alerts will direct people to contact law enforcement or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
And the supposed missing person case has not been featured in any reputable news outlets or acknowledged by law enforcement, despite the post claiming Gracie has been missing for over two weeks.
The use of emojis also casts doubt upon the legitimacy of the story.
Finally, some variations of the post have a link to suspicious websites that deploy adware and try to force visitors to disable their VPN and ad-blocking software.
The missing posts have also increased in Facebook buy/sell groups rather than on personal pages.
What is a phishing scam?
Phishing is when criminals use scam emails, text messages, or phone calls to trick their victims.
The aim is often to make victims visit a website, which may download a virus onto your computer, or steal bank details or other personal information.
The Gracie Mae Thompson missing girl scam is a classic example of like-farming which is where fraudsters create emotive, shocking, or controversial content with the aim of generating as many likes, comments, and shares as possible.
THE National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has warned social media users of the horrific attempts from scammers to hack accounts with fake missing children posters.
The Gracie Mae Thompson viral missing person photo is fakeCredit: Facebook
Scam missing person posters prevent law enforcement from helping real missing childrenCredit: Getty
Angeline Hartmann warned of the dangers sharing scam photos can have on missing person casesCredit: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
The original post appeared to be someone claiming she was Gracie's mother.
The catch was - no one by the name of Gracie Mae Thompson existed.
The Odessa Police Department confirmed to The U.S. Sun that no record of a Gracie Mae Thompson or a missing person report was filed under that name.
The NCMEC also told The U.S. Sun that there was no record of her in their database.
READ MORE ON MISSING PEOPLE
Angeline Hartmann, the Director of Communications at the NCMEC, said the missing persons photo was a "scam from top to bottom."
'IT'S TERRIBLE'
Hartmann spoke to The U.S. Sun about the dramatic uptick in missing person scams online and its detrimental impact on finding real missing children.
“It’s a scam - it’s a hoax and it’s terrible," she said.
The NCMEC is a private, non-profit corporation that works to find missing children and prevent child sexual exploitation, and victimizationThe organization works with law enforcement, families, and victims to advocate for children.
Last year, the NCMEC assisted with over 28,000 cases of mission children and has helped bring over 426,000 missing children home in the last 40 years, according to the organization.
Hartmann explained that when scams go viral it takes away resources from them.
She named the viral scam photos a top concern as the NCMEC has wasted time fielding fake inquiries from the public instead of focusing on actual victims.
"Bad people are out there praying on good people using the idea that you can help a missing child," she said.
It’s a scam - it’s a hoax and it’s terrible."Angeline HartmannDirector Of Communications For The NCMEC
HOW IT HAPPENS
Scammers can mimic the format of missing person posters and oftentimes use pictures of former missing children.
Hartmann saw cases of scammers recirculating posters using the same photo and name, even though the child had already been found.
The scams can bring back real trauma for families who are still recovering from missing a child.
The motives behind the scams can range from wanting money, hacking into social media accounts, and even simply just for the likes and shares online.
Hartmann said legitimate organizations and law enforcement officials won't ask the public for money when sharing information about a missing child.
She warned social media users to be weary of posts that have a donation ask.
Hartmann advocated for users to do their due diligence when sharing missing persons posters online.
The information should come from a legitimate organization, law enforcement, or a credible local news outlet.
Users should also be cautious of posters with misspellings or improperly used words.
It's important to look for posters that include the child's name, the date they went missing, and the law enforcement agency handling the case.
Even though these additional steps may take a few more seconds than just blindly sharing viral photos, Hartmann said the organization needs help from the public
She added that those who want to help can see if there are missing children in their community on the NCMEC database.
“We don’t want to let the scammers win - we want the good people to keep on doing good and we can’t do this alone," she told The U.S. Sun.
ANY POST LIKE THIS THAT YOU COMMUNICATE SHOULD HAVE THESE 8 CHARACTERISTICS :
1) Photography
2) Name Surname
3) Age
4) Date
5) Area
6) Characteristics
7) What she was wearing
8) Tel. Police of the area
- https://puregateway.click/2024/08/09/gracie-mae-thompson-missing-15-years-old-teen-last-seen-july-22/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/CommonScams/comments/1enf4hz/staten_island_everything_my_daughter_has_been/
- https://www.facebook.com/story.php/?story_fbid=870252375163768&id=100065370396831&paipv=0&eav=AfaZ795_UeqvoUfuH_gmpjUQvtNsLjl9RASB9XeMurEljyBMwqyEfdYs_JdsbjMWGX8&_rdr
- https://archive.is/VFSQg
- https://en.pressbee.net/show3189854.html?title=missing-girl-scam-is-slammed-by-officials-who-confirm-viral-graci#google_vignette
- https://www.the-sun.com/news/12205145/gracie-mae-thompson-missing-children-scams/
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