How a ‘missing person’ scam is luring Irish social media users using old photos of real children [Video]

IN A FACEBOOK group dedicated to finding rooms to rent in Dublin, someone posted about a distressing discovery.

“This little boy, approximately 2 years old, was found an hour ago in Dublin,” the post began, accompanied by two photos of a blonde toddler.

In both photos, published on 6 October, the boy appeared to be injured, with swelling at his mouth and forehead.

“Officers [are holding] the child safe at the police station, but we have no idea where he lives,” the post continued. “No one has called looking for him. Please bump this post.”

Plenty of people acceded to the request.

At the time of writing, the post has garnered 570 reactions and been shared on Facebook more than 4,200 times.

However, a search of Facebook reveals that the child had apparently gone missing before: other posts claim the same boy had been found wandering streets in England and even the United States.

Such posts, which …