<< Hoax Alert – Baby Cancer & Heart Transplant >>
(Additional Resource Added – There are now 12 known Hoaxes)
Facebook user should be on the lookout for a “re-posted” PHOTOS that claim people should share or like them so that Facebook will donate money to help children depicted in the photos obtain free heart transplants or other needed surgeries. Despite what is stated in the widely circulated Facebook messages, (Examples Attached), the photos should not be re-shared or re-posted.
Why These Photos Are Scams/ Hoaxes:
First, Facebook or the Facebook Team is very aware of what they call a “baby charity scam/ hoax issue” and have basically confirmed that they will not pay or donate money to anyone simply because a photo was shared or liked. Secondly, the baby charity scam/ hoax messages currently on Facebook are a reincarnation of old money for forwarding or re-posting hoaxes. These types of messages have been circulated for years, first via email and more lately via social media posts. In many confirmed cases the images of sick children are being uploaded to facebook and shared through the network without the parents expressed permission or consent, which actually violate Facebook’s TOS. Many of the parents become distraught to find out someone is using pictures of their sick child in this manner and have been requesting that Facebook remove the photo’s for quite some time now.
Why The Baby Charity Scams/ Hoaxes Have Become So Prolific On The Social Network:
Many people believe they are doing a “compassionate” or “caring” thing by re-sharing the hoax messages and photos. That the act of sharing or liking the photos shows their want to help the children. Since the social network is known for it’s huge user base it’s very easy to find millions of compassionate people willing to simply take your word for it and click like or share, when they see a photo depicting a sick child stating money will be donated for that simple action. This spreads these photos to their friends and so on, allowing others to fall into the trap as well. Though their actions are admirable, they are misguided into aiding pranksters and con-men in increasing likes, shares and interactions on their pages and profiles. My colleagues and I have seen some of these photos reach 600,000 shares in a manner of hours to a few days. For the con-men who shared the photo, the increased traffic to the photo also translates into to likes to their useless fan pages and subscriptions to their fake profiles.
Another reason these hoaxes have become so prolific is that, while Facebook has stated they need to work on getting the photos removed quicker they seem to be failing in both removing old instances of the hoaxes and stopping people from creating new instances of them. My colleagues and I have seen a sharp increase in the instances of these photos and although it may appear extremely viral instances are cut down more quickly the slower ones are never touched. Many are being left in place on the network for extremely long periods of time, even after they have been reported hundreds or thousands of times. In some cases users who report the photos receive emails back stating the Facebook can not confirm the hoax/ scam, is a hoax/ scam, (???) – Since these photos are of children and are being use in the way they are I and many other consider this UNACCEPTABLE. By all standards it is child exploitation and if Facebook doesn’t step up to combat it properly I and many other people are left to believe they are getting something from it as well.
What Can Happen to Users who Participate In these Hoaxes/ Scams:
Beside the fact these hoaxes/ scams cause users to spread misinformation and unauthorized photos throughout their friends and Facebook, there is a serious risk to certain users who may be extremely believing and compassionate of the hoaxes. Since the bulk of the hoaxes are being uploaded by scammers who want to increase their foot print on the social networking site, users who participate in the ruse become exposed to these con-men. If someone has wholeheartedly fallen for the photo they may leave comments stating such or asking how they can help. The con-men see this and may quickly turn sharing and liking into asking the victim to send money to him for the child. It is possible that this maybe happening very regularly but many of the victims may never speak up due to being embarrassed they got scammed out of money. This is why it’s extremely important the people understand it is better to recognize the con and avoid liking, sharing or commenting on them. Since Facebook can be a really open network taking those actions can open you and your friends up to losing money. Never comment, like or share these hoaxes, even if it is to inform others of the scam, simply report it to Facebook.
How to Report The Photos:
If you should see any of your friends re-share or re-post any of the pictures shown below, let your friend know their efforts are better served finding a legitimate childhood sickness charity on Facebook to support. Then you and your friend should REPORT the PHOTO at it’s source. You can report the photo’s at their source by simply clicking on the photo in the new feed, then clicking on the “Report This Photo” link shown below the photo, to the right, or if the photo loads in Facebook’s “Photo Viewer” you can click the “Gear Menu”, (Top Right Corner of the Viewer) and select “Report This Photo” from the drop down menu that appears.
Current Baby Cancer & Heart Transplant Hoaxes
UPDATE 1: All “Event Invites” that use any of the sick child photos shown in the examples are to be ignored and reported.. You can report scam events by simply clicking the “Report” link on the lower left side of the event page. Select “Scam Or Spam” in the option box that opens, then click submit. Do not click to “Attend” the events..
UPDATE 2: Via Thatsnonsense.com -Administration
We’ve had some success getting rid of photos of the sick children in hospital with several popular instances being removed. However there are still several instances that have been up for a while. They are listed here. If you have a minute or so free please report these photos.
Our Facebook article on this hoax is here:
http://www.thatsnonsense.com/viewdef.php?article=facebook_babies_hoax
*Resources: Master List
Anti-scam websites beg Facebook to remove sick baby hoaxes
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/anti-scam-websites-beg-facebook-to-remove-sick-baby-hoaxes/8613
Ramona Mother Fights Online Exploitation of Child
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Ramona-Mother-Fights-Online-Exploitation-of-Child-139191913.html
A Special Appeal to Facebook Users – Unauthorized Use of Baby Zoe Chambers Photograph
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/zoe-chambers-story.shtml
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2376494/Heart-transplant-child-Zoe-Chambers-has-died.html
Hoax – Facebook Will Pay Three Cents Per Share to Help Baby With Facial Cancer
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/child-three-cents-per-share-cancer.shtml
Baby cancer and heart transplant hoaxes on Facebook
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/01/10/baby-cancer-and-heart-transplant-hoaxes-on-facebook/
Boy with courage in a class of its own: Brave meningitis boy, 4, starts school after losing ALL his limbs
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1316191/Harley-Lane-4-starts-school-losing-ALL-limbs-meningitis.html
Grieving mother distraught after conmen set up Facebook site asking for donations to help fund heart transplant for her dead toddler daughter
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2088292/Conmen-set-Facebook-site-asking-donations-help-fund-heart-transplant-dead-toddler.html
Ectopia Cordis Sick Baby Facebook Hoax
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/ectobia-cordis-sick-baby-hoax.shtml
Hoax – Facebook Will Pay One Dollar Per Like to Help Baby With a Face Cancer
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/fb-dollar-cancer-hoax.shtml
Another Facebook Nonsense Post – Share to Help Baby With Brain Disorder
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/baby-brain-disorder.share.shtml
My boy refused to die: Medical miracle Ryan is the first baby to survive being born with his heart outside his body
http://www.parentdish.co.uk/kids/medical-miracle-ryan-marquiss-is-the-first-baby-to-survive-born-with-heart-outside-body/
Boy is world’s first to survive being born with heart outside his body
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2103342/Boy-worlds-survive-born-heart-outside-body.html
Mother sacrificed her life by refusing cancer treatment so her premature baby would live
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-510308/Mother-sacrificed-life-refusing-cancer-treatment-premature-baby-live.html
Boy Shot By Step Dad Charity Hoax
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/boy-shot-stepfather-text-message-hoax.shtml
Facebook Prayer Request For Baby Found in the Bin
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/baby-bin-prayer-request.shtml
Life-Saving Surgery Saved A Boy With 3.3kg Cancer Tumor In His Stomach
http://palscience.com/health-medicine/life-saving-surgery-saved-a-boy-with-33kg-cancer-tumor-in-his-stomach/
Mother’s anger as girl, three, is sent home from nursery looking like this after being beaten black and blue by a two-year-old nicknamed Chucky
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2077039/Katie-Ann-Guttridge-3-attacked-Leicester-nursery-2-year-old.html
Two-month-old baby ‘happy and healthy’ after miraculous surgery to remove neck tumour the size of her head
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2041294/Two-month-old-baby-happy-healthy-miraculous-surgery-remove-neck-tumour-size-head.html
Facebook removes sick baby hoaxes, urges users to report more “????”
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/facebook-removes-sick-baby-hoaxes-urges-users-to-report-more/8675
Appeal for assistance From The Administration Of Hoax-Slayer
“Hi there!
Three days ago, the mother of the child with the cavernous hemagioma,
Hope Cantu Ettore learned that a picture of her son, Samuel, was being used in a similar hoax, albeit without the scam element (there has been one instance discovered though where the page sharing the photo has included a link to their Sri Lankan travel company in the caption). Samuel is now 7 years old and had the hemagioma removed a number of years ago and is doing brilliantly. I am also now assisting Hope with trying to get this picture also removed from Facebook.
As you can imagine, both mothers are very distressed at pictures of their children having been misappropriated in this way and I do have a couple of support groups I am a member of on FB assisting in our efforts to get these pictures removed. This is, however, quite a large task and I am now asking the hoax and scam busting communities on Facebook to please also assist with this if you would be so kind.
The plan of attack we are taking is to report the picture where it is being shared from, rather than the instance where is is being shared. This way the workload is lessened somewhat in that when the “original” post of the photo is removed – all shares of it also instantly disappear. Where possible we are also commenting on the photo where it is shared and messaging the person who shared it.
I would be very grateful for any and all assistance offered in this task, as I am sure both mothers would also be very appreciative.
~This post has been cross-posted to: Bulldog Estate, That’s Nonsense, Facecrooks, Sophos and Hoax Slayer.~
Thank you for your time and assistance.
Steve.
UK Admin for Hoax Slayer on Facebook.
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~MBK
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