Caution urged on social media following fake missing person post

Police advise reading a message carefully before liking and sharing

Police are urging those using social media to read posts carefully before liking and sharing after a fake message about a missing person from the Isle of Man was widely shared on Facebook.

The post in a group for Manx residents claimed a man in his 70s and his dog were missing in Douglas, but the Isle of Man Constabulary has confirmed this is not the case.

Officers advise those on social media to consider what a post says before sharing, as the message in question included the term 'silver alert', which is a public notification system in the USA not used on the Isle of Man.

Police add that in legitimate cases involving missing individuals, there would be an appeal for help locating the person on the police's official pages.