Public urged to be cautious when sharing info on social media

THE police have urged the public to exercise caution when sharing unconfirmed crime-related information on social media.

This comes after a video of a bogus kidnapping in Klerksdorp went viral on social media platforms, particularly on WhatsApp.

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“A preliminary investigation was conducted after police management which showed that no such incident was reported. The police believe that the video was staged to spark fear among members of the public. In the same breath, voice notes with false and unsubstantiated information were over the weekend shared on social media platforms about alleged kidnapping incidents for human trafficking purposes,” police said in a statement.

Police have urged social media users to verify the legitimacy of crime-related videos and voice notes with the police before forwarding them, as some may be false and contribute towards the spread of fake information.  

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