Tag Archives: missing

Hundreds of people have shared hoax appeals searching for a missing man with dementia named ‘George’ across the UK. 

Full Fact has seen examples searching for ‘George Smith’ shared in Yeovil and Nailsea in Somerset, Long Eaton in Derbyshire and Inverclyde, Scotland. The same images and text have also been used in hoax posts claiming to search for ‘George Wayne’ in Winchester (Hampshire), High Wycombe (Buckinghamshire) and again in both Long Eaton and Inverclyde. Together, these posts have been shared more than 1,800 times. 

The posts all use near-identical text, which says: “FLOOD YOUR FEEDS ~ MISSING!! in[location]. 

“Our Dad, George Smith aged 74 drove out last night in his Toyota Hilux truck and he still hasn’t returned. He doesn’t know where…

Posts claiming that a photograph shows a five-year-old boy who has gone missing after leaving home on his bike have been shared in Facebook groups. But these appeals for information are hoaxes. 

Full Fact has seen examples of these posts in community buy and sell groups in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, and Lethbridge, Canada.  

The posts both use exactly the same text which says: “Help!!! MISSING Child!! #Gawler

My grandson Josh only 5years old went out on his bike earlier today and he still hasn’t returned.He doesn’t know where he’s going, new surroundings.There is a silver alert activated on him. Please help bump this post so we can get him home safely!! [sic]” 

We have written before about posts shared thousands of times on Facebook which used almost…

Hoax posts appealing for information about a missing five-year-old named Sofia have been shared thousands of times on Facebook. 

Full Fact has seen examples of these alerts shared in more than a dozen community groups serving locations across the UK, with some in places such as Newport, Bexleyheath and Bristol racking up hundreds of shares each. 

The posts all use very similar text, which says: “Help!!! MISSING Child!! [location]

“My grand daughter Sofia only 5years old went out on her bike earlier today and she still hasn’t returned.She doesn’t know where she’s going, new surroundings.

“There is a silver alert activated on her. Please help bump this post so we can get her home safely!! [sic]” 

There are several indications that these appeals are not…

A Facebook post claiming to be searching for a missing man who has dementia is a hoax. 

The post, which appeared in a buy-and-sell group for Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire, says: “NOT YET FOUND!! #Scunthorpe Mr.Jones aged 81 drove out with a dog Rex and he still hasn’t returned. He doesn’t know where he’s going, he has dementia. There is a silver alert activated on him. Please help bump this post so we can get him home safely.”

Full Fact has written before about a similar hoax post using the same photo, which has been traced back to the US and does not show a man called Mr Jones. 

There are many signs that this post is not genuine. Firstly, Full Fact traced the photo showing a man holding a dog to a community Facebook group in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with the original…

A hoax appeal shared on Facebook claims that a four-year-old child called Jack Graham, pictured in the post with a fawn, has gone missing and is believed to be in need of medical attention. 

Full Fact has spotted versions of these posts in social media groups in the UK, including in Leeds and Falkirk, as well as many examples in the US and Canada. 

The posts all feature very similar text, which says in most of the versions we’ve seen: “Jack Graham is a 4 year old  who stands 3 feet, 5 inches and weighs 55 pounds. Graham has been missing since June 04, 2023 and is believed to be both endangered and in need of medical attention. 

“Graham was last seen in #[location]. Bump this post so that he can be reunited with his family. [sic]”

But the boy pictured in the…