According to a post that circulates via Facebook, you can help a baby with eye cancer just by liking, sharing, and commenting on his picture.
The post features a series of images depicting a child with a severe eye condition.
The post claims that Facebook will help pay for the child’s surgery by donating $1 for every like, $5 for every comment, and $10 for every share.
However, the post is just another disgraceful sick baby scam. Facebook will not donate money to help the child based on how many likes, shares, and comments his picture receives. Liking, sharing, and commenting will do nothing whatsoever to help the child.
The images featured in the fake post were stolen from other websites and used without the permission or knowledge of the child’s parents or guardians.
The goal of the contemptible people who create these fake charity posts is simply to promote their own Facebook Pages and profiles.
Sadly, there are many scam posts like this on Facebook. Keep in mind that any post that claims that Facebook or another company will donate money to help a child in exchange for liking, sharing, and commenting is sure to be a scam.
Do not help these scammers by promoting their fake charity posts.
1 comment
In addition to the usual reasons to avoid sharing cons/fake stories, people don’t realise the extent of the damage these posts can potentially cause.
For example I used to be a nurse in a children’s hospital, and occasionally cared for kids with cancer. One of these was a toddler with a tumour at the back of her eye.
Cut to last year. Someone posted a photo of their child, and I noticed one of her eyes had an unusual look to it, which *could* have been a symptom of a tumour. I didn’t know the family at all, but I couldn’t ignore my concern so I sent them a PM just in case. I sent a link to a relevant NHS page, with photos for comparison.
I never received a reply, but my PM was read. I hope the child was okay, but I doubt I’ll ever know. Maybe the family assumed I was a scammer. Who could blame them if so? It was probably nothing to worry about, but if there was a tumour it may have gone undiagnosed until too late. Partly thanks to all the fake warnings and appeals repeatedly recirculated by well meaning people :'(