Distressed Baby Scam Spreads Across UK Social Media
A photo of a distressed baby in a carrier, accompanied by a desperate plea for help, has gone viral in Facebook groups nationwide. The message read: “Baby dumped at our house gate. I can’t find her parents and my neighbours have no idea how she got here. Please help me find her parents.”
But seasoned social media users quickly spotted it was a rotten scam.
Same Image, Same Story, Different Accounts
The identical image and text popped up across multiple groups and even made rounds on Instagram. The scammer tried to dodge scrutiny by posting through a business profile and switching off comments. Not quite clever enough, users found ways to fight back by leaving exposé comments.
“Scam page with a baby picture and the claim that she was dumped on their doorstep. I’m requesting money. Report and delete,”
comments one furious user on the scam profile.
Stolen Photos and Sick Lies
Worried members of the public believe all images used in the posts were stolen from real families. One user blasted: “Actually disgusting, whoever is behind this account deserves to go to prison.” They urged anyone who could track the real owner of the photo to warn them their child was being exploited in a sick scam.
Another added: “Fake profile, using someone else’s photo. If you see this person in public, know it’s not their name and they have no clue about this picture. Instead of commenting, share to raise awareness that these are scams.”
The crooks behind this stunt have been labelled “sick and twisted” and “horrible” by shocked social media users.
Met Police Sound Warning
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police weighed in: “We are aware of a social media message circulating about a child being abandoned at a house in Rainham. We conducted several inquiries and found no evidence to support this being true. Please keep in mind the possibility of scams and fraud.”
Beware of heart-tugging posts on social media – not every plea for help is genuine.
