In Fb teams devoted to communities in locations resembling Nassau County, Florida; Easley, South Carolina; and Preston, in the UK, customers are sharing a picture of a person purportedly lacking.
“HELP FIND HIM,” one Nov. 9 put up mentioned in a gaggle known as “Preston Group Web page.” “Police officer Jonathan Diller went lacking yesterday morning right here in #Preston. His truck was discovered final night time together with his son inside however sadly there may be nonetheless no signal of him. … A silver alert has been issued for Jonathan who is taken into account to presumably be in EXTREME hazard and in want of medical help. We’re asking for the group’s assist. ONLY TAKES 2 SECONDS to share … “
The put up was from an account created April 26 underneath the identify “Margaret Ladner.”
And this identical account posted the identical picture of a person and little one with the identical plea in different group teams.
In a Nov. 9 put up in a gaggle known as “Easley, South Carolina on-line yard sale,” Diller was purportedly lacking in Easley. And in a Nov. 9 put up in a gaggle known as “Nassau county FLA purchase,swap,promote,or give away,” Diller was purportedly lacking in Nassau County.
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However the claims in these posts aren’t true.
They had been flagged as a part of Meta’s efforts to fight false information and misinformation on its Information Feed. (Learn extra about our partnership with Meta, which owns Fb, Instagram and Threads.)
Jonathan Diller was a police officer, and the picture of him within the fabricated posts is genuine. He was a New York Police Division officer who was fatally shot throughout a site visitors cease March 25 in Queens, New York. He’s survived by his spouse and toddler son.
His loss of life drew media protection, although trying to find “Jonathan Diller” now brings up information tales from across the nation — in Maine, Indiana, Massachusetts, Idaho and extra — debunking the declare that he’s lacking there.
The Higher Enterprise Bureau mentioned in a Nov. 5 weblog put up that bait-and-switch scams resembling this one are rising in native buy-and-sell Fb teams.
“You’re scrolling via Fb, and a gut-wrenching put up about an injured animal, a lacking little one, or a misplaced older grownup grabs your consideration. You need to assist, so that you share the put up by yourself profile,” the put up mentioned. “After you share the put up, the scammer adjustments the unique put up to a misleading rental advert, a gross sales pitch or a hyperlink to a survey that ‘ensures’ a money prize. Now, your folks suppose you might have really helpful that content material. These bait-and-switch advertisements goal to both get a deposit for a rental property earlier than the consumer will get an opportunity to see the house — or get your private data, which might result in identification theft.”
The claims about Diller should not actual and are meant to bilk cash from social media customers. We charge claims concerning the lacking police officer Pants on Hearth!
