Fake Amber Alerts
There have been a series of SMS text messages, Tweets, MSN Messenger Messages, Blackberry Messenger Messages and blah, blah, blah (you know, various other forms of online chatter and communication) regarding a supposed Amber Alert that was recently issued. Like anyone else, I assumed that a child was indeed missing and that I needed to spread the word. Of course, it turns out it’s nothing but an idiot with far too much time on his hands. Some pranks are funny; this is not.
Millions of well-intentioned citizens have been forwarding these messages in the hopes of locating this “missing” child. What are the chances that each person who reacted with sympathy is going to respond with equal concern the next time an Amber Alert comes to their attention, given that they now know it was nothing but a hoax?
What may seem like a harmless prank can result in serious consequences in the long run, including the eventual diminishing power of such alerts. The Amber Alert still commands a relative amount of mass attention. But how long will it take before it becomes yet another once-important, no longer relevant part of our modern, ever changing world?
Amber Alert? Probably just a prank. Probably ain’t true. Probably. Maybe?
Whatever.
Sounds a little trite and didactic but, PLEASE do not forward such messages without verifying their legitimacy. It does more harm than good.
Fake alerts can be verified by visiting the Active Amber Alerts page, located at: http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/AmberServlet.
