As parents, we all know the risks of sharing our kid’s photos online. It’s important to have the right privacy settings on social media to prevent your child’s photo getting in the wrong hands.
Metro News in the UK have reported a toddler’s photos were stolen online and used as bait for a fake cancer fundraiser, shared on Facebook.
Jasper Allen made news headlines last year when he was in hospital for 5 days after contracting chicken pox. We shared this post with you after the toddler was turned away by his GP’s receptionist. Doctors had classed it as the worst chicken pox they had seen and the three-year-old’s photos were shared online.
Unfortunately scammers got a hold of the pictures and set up a fundraiser, claiming Jasper had cancer and needed money for surgery.
Jasper’s mum, Sarah Allen, 36, reported the stolen photos to Facebook 30 times since she saw them a couple of weeks ago, but they still have not been taken down.
The mum-of-two told the Metro, ‘I first saw and reported the pictures two or three weeks ago.
‘The photos of Jasper are on Google, but that’s not the point. It’s not the fact they stole the pictures, it’s the fact they’re lying – cancer is not something you should joke about.
‘I have had friends and family call up thinking Jasper actually has cancer. It is really upsetting and distressing.
‘I’ve even seen people commenting on the post offering to transfer donations.
‘I think it is disgusting. They are scammers. They can’t be real human beings, because no person would think this is OK. They are making up lies.
‘I commented on the post and said “you sick b*****d, this is my son, he does not have cancer, take these pictures down” and the page liked my comment.
‘What Jasper went through was awful but it was nothing compared to cancer – that’s why you shouldn’t just throw something like that around. It is not a joke.
‘Facebook can achieve amazing things, but sometimes it fails you.’
Sarah did receive an email from Facebook advising one of the profiles had been taken down, but the post is still doing the rounds and has been shared over 1.2 million times and has received 239,000 likes and 149,000 comments.
The pictures clearly show Jasper is covered in chicken pox yet the post is still being shared.
‘Everyone is commenting on the posts saying it is not cancer, it is a little boy with chicken pox.
‘Facebook need to make the reporting process better and take things like this down straight away.
‘You can’t even have a breastfeeding photograph on Facebook without it being taken down, but somehow this is fine?’
The Metro have contact Facebook for comment, but they haven’t responded.
The post has prompted for all parents to report anything that doesn’t look right on Facebook. Posts can go viral quite quickly on Facebook and without a report, the photos can continue to be shared until they are taken down.
