Families Of Missing Persons: Don’t Fall Prey To Scammers

According to the FBI, there may be more than 100,000 people missing in the United States on any given day. Having a family member disappear is a difficult and traumatizing experience for a family, and waiting for any information about a missing person’s whereabouts can cause a great deal of anxiety.

Now, officials say some people are preying on the vulnerabilities of the families of missing persons: they are sending e-mail messages claiming to know the whereabouts of your loved one. You think you are getting critical information that could lead you to your missing family member, but this is simply an attempt to scam you out of your money.

The details might make this seem like a unique scheme, but in reality it is very similar to many other Internet money scams. According to Missouri Missing, the crooks ask for you to wire or transfer money to their account, oftentimes overseas. You are expecting the details that could lead you to your family member, but instead they take your money and run, leaving you with nothing.

Protect yourself from these thieves: never send money to anyone who contacts you via e-mail. If you are contacted by anyone claiming to have details of the whereabouts of your missing loved one, always report this information to the authorities in charge of the investigation. They will be able to determine what information is valuable to tracking down your missing loved one.