Hundreds share scam post about 'little boy found in Swindon'

A Facebook account by the name 'Mollie Gibbs' claimed that a young boy in a nappy had been found in Covingham and was now safe at a police station where people were trying to find his parents or guardian. 

Members of the public were encouraged to share the post, with 344 people sharing it in an attempt to help the boy in question. 

But "Mollie" isn't a real person and the child pictured is not missing in Swindon, with the post in fact being a scam. 

The original post about the 'missing boy' before it was changed by the scammer (Image: Facebook)

The full post read: "This little boy, approximately 2 years old, was found in Covingham 1 hour ago. Officers have the child safe at the Police Station but we have no idea where he lives. No one has called looking for him. Please Bump this post."

This type of scam can be seen often on social media and often involves a lost dog or child - something that will get people sharing and interacting with the post - and then once it has been liked and shared by a large amount of people the original post will edit the post. 

In this case, 'Mollie Gibbs' has changed the post from the plea to get a missing child home, to a scam advert advertising that people are entitled to get £300 in cash back if they sign-up via a link. 

The new post which retains the likes and shares now reads: "This is real guys I received mine.

"It’s that time of the year again!!! To everybody going through a hard time, Cash-back UK is giving a SignUp Bonus of £300. A big thanks to the person who shared this , I just got mine If you’re interested create your account below."

This is what a bunch of well-meaning local people have ended up inadvertently sharing to their friends and family after being duped (Image: Facebook)

There are ways to spot this type of scam on social media. 

Usually, posts like this will be completely devoid of any detail, so they will not mention which vet the dog/pet has been taken to, or which police station the child is now at. There will also be no mention of names, or exact locations. 

Another sign that a post like this is a scam is that the same person who posted it in the first place, in this case 'Mollie Gibbs' will also prevent comments.

This is so that people cannot alert others in the comment section.