“This little girl was found in the street in Montpellier last night”: this missing person notice is not what it seems

For several weeks, strange missing person notices have been popping up on Facebook groups in Montpellier, as in several other French cities. The posts each time indicate that a child was found the night before in the city and that he is looking for his parents. In reality, it is a scam.

"This 3-year-old girl, Bobbi Renae, was found last night walking behind a house here in Montpellier", deplores the publication reshared 25 000 times on Facebook from the page "Troc Montpellier". At first glance, it seems like a tragedy: how could a child have ended up abandoned on the street with no one looking for her?? But on closer inspection, the alarming publication seems more like a scam.

A strange publication

Just keep reading to see more clearly. It states that:“Deputy Tom Ashley rescued her and took her to the police station but no one has any idea where she lives, the neighbors don't know her or how she got there. She says her mother's name is Lisa.”

The mention of a deputy may come as a surprise. In France, it is rare for the names of deputy police officers to be given during cases. As for the deputies at the Montpellier town hall, none of them have this name. The use of this term in this context is more reminiscent of American jargon. Especially since the text, automatically translated, was published in English.

Brouteurs

The publication was reshared on several Facebook groups for local mutual aid: for bartering, the city's photo archives, outings, etc. Each time, the child has a new name, or becomes anonymous. The names of the "deputies" saviors also vary from one publication to another. We find the same kind of post in other French metropolises: Lille, Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux…

"Let's flood our feeds so that this post reaches its family, thank you", the authors conclude. This is the goal of the scammers. They are called "grazers". By sharing fake calls for witnesses, they expose their profiles to many users who they contact.

Once in contact with their future victims, they only have to maintain the pity aroused via the ad to extort money.