Hoax message still doing the rounds on social media, warns Greenwood Park SAPS
Greenwood Park SAPS spokesperson, Captain Jerome Slater, has confirmed the message is not factual.
GREENWOOD Park SAPS has asked the public to ignore a hoax message that is once again doing the rounds on WhatsApp.
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The circular, which has been doing the rounds for some time, reads: “If you find a child crying on the road showing his or her address and asking you to take him or her to to that address, immediately take that child to the police station and do not take the child to the address that he or she asks. This is a new way for to gang rape women and girls, rob and kill men and boys.”
The message goes on to read that people should not accept free keyholders at service station as these have tracker devices on them.
“The contents of this message are not true and we urge people to not spread such messages as it instills fear in the public. Many people believe that these messages are true when they are not factual,” said Greenwood Park SAPS spokesperson, Captain Jerome Slater.
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He added that there have not been any cases of this nature reported at the station. WhatsApp, on its website offers some basic tips on how to stop the spread of fake news.
- When a message is forwarded from one user to another more than five times, it’s indicated with a double arrow icon. Take note of this as the person who sent it to you has not written it themselves.
- Check reputable news sources to see if a story has been reported elsewhere. Photos, audio recordings, and videos can be edited to mislead you.
- Hoax or fake news generally contains spelling errors.
- Use your discretion and check your biases.
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