Pleas for fake missing people circulate after Manchester attack

After a deadly explosion occurred at a concert by American pop singer Ariana Grande in Manchester, England on Monday night, people took to social media to seek help finding missing friends and family members. However, a startling amount of fake information-- including photos, videos and even invented missing persons-- also started flooding social media.

So far, at least 22 people-- including children-- are thought to have died in the terror attack, with scores injured. In the chaos and confusion outside the arena, many lost track of loved ones and turned to social media for help. Unfortunately, many fake pleas also began to circulate.

Fake missing people

Twitter user “Kylie Manser” shared a photo of a small child on Twitter, claiming that it was her little brother, Frank, who she said went missing after the incident. More than 15,000 people retweeted her plea. One problem: the photo of the little boy is actually from an article published almost three years ago about an Ohio-based fashion line for children with Down syndrome. On the company’s Kickstarter page, the little boy in the photo is identified as Griffin. Furthermore, there are multiple posts about Griffin on the company’s Facebook page.

The Twitter account @gamergateantifa also featured a post about a fake missing person. The tweet included a photo of a young man wearing a suit. The user claimed the young man was their son, and said they hadn’t been able to contact him after the concert at Manchester Arena. More than 14,000 people retweeted the original post in the hours after the attack.

In reality, the photo is of YouTube personality and Twitter user @TROTWOfficial. He replied to the Tweet, “You’re not my Dad. And, last I checked, I’m still alive.” He also shared a YouTube video clarifying that he was in the United States during the attack and not in Manchester.

Grande covered in blood

Another misappropriated photo that was widely shared after the incident showed singer Ariana Grande, seemingly distressed, with what looks like blood on her face.

However, this image is actually more than two years old. It was taken during the filming of FOX television show "Scream Queens".

Real missing

There are, of course, many posts on social media from real people desperately searching for missing loved ones. Greater Manchester Police have set up a hotline for people looking for loved ones who have not returned home: +44 (0)161 856 9400 or +44 (0)161 856 9900.