SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — It’s a scam that’s going around social media that wants you to share information about a missing child, but when you click on the link, it takes you to a completely different website.
An image of a child with bruises was posted to a Sioux Falls Facebook group saying this was a missing child who was found in the area and needed help.
In a matter of hours, it was seen and shared by many.
The only thing is this missing child is not missing at all, the photos were taken from this news story in Alabama . And the link attached to the post took users to a completely different website.
Jessie Schmidt with the Better Business Bureau of South Dakota says these types of scams are called phishing and use sensitive photos to lure people in.
“Really vulnerable populations like infants, toddlers and really young children. That creates a sense of urgency in people. And then when there’s a hashtag and they want you to share it, that all of that should be a really big red flag to do a bit of a deeper dive,” Schmidt said.