Man's chilling warning against calling the number on missing person posters – The Mirror US
A man has sounded the alarm on responding directly to numbers listed on missing person posters, suggesting it might inadvertently lead to harm. The common urge is to help find the missing individual and ensure they receive necessary support. Yet, this man warns that not all intentions behind these posters are pure.
Sharing his advice on Reddit's life pro tip thread, he cautioned: "If you've seen a 'Missing person' poster and you have info about the missing person, don't report it to any phone number/person mentioned in the poster, always contact the authorities." He explained the rationale behind his warning: "You don't know if the poster was made by a stalker or someone who is intending to hurt the missing person."
While many Reddit users confessed they hadn't considered such a scenario, some recounted personal experiences of distress caused by unofficial posters. One user recounted a harrowing experience: "This actually happened to my wife and I. We were fostering a young boy while the bio family had made physical posters and Facebook posts about how he was kidnapped and such.
Their posts on Facebook got 160,000 plus shares and was on the local news stations and radio. We literally had to go into 'lock down' for a few days to lay low. Was definitely an intense few weeks!" One user chimed in, sharing their expertise: "Not a bad tip. I worked in a shelter for years and people would call around looking for someone. We were trained to never answer these types of questions. I've met people trying to get away from every type of 'loved one' and most types of evil. They don't let go easy and will try everything to regain control."
Another person recounted a chilling encounter: "Had an abusive ex boyfriend call and tried to report someone as suicidal. Story didn't add up and we located her safe and sound. Basically the ex was trying to get us to find her since she moved away from him. So yes this happens. May not be obvious but most people don't realise the lengths abusive men and women will go to terrorise their victims."
If you need to report someone as missing, contact the police immediately on 911. The police urge the public in a statement: "You do not have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing. It is not wasting police time to report someone missing. We are here to protect you and your loved ones."
The statement adds: "When you provide us with information about a missing person we'll review and assess, email to confirm that we've got your report and tell you what will happen next. It will be dealt with by our control room in exactly the same way whether you report it online or call us. You may find it easier to answer the questions online at your own pace."
