UK
Police warning after scammers target Southport attack victim’s funeral by sharing fake links
Police have warned the public about fraudsters looking to profit from the Southport stabbings tragedy after a fake link to a “live stream” claiming to show a victim’s funeral was shared on Facebook.
Officers were made aware of a number of Facebook accounts providing a fake link to a stream, as well as a link to a bogus donations page.
Six-year-old Bebe King’s funeral was held on Saturday after she was killed in the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on 29 July.
Nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe were also killed in the Merseyside town.
An 18-year-old boy, Axel Rudakubana, has been charged with their murders and further counts of attempted murder.
Misinformation about the suspect’s identity sparked protests and riots in several towns and cities across England and Northern Ireland.
(L-R) Victims Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King and Alice da Silva Aguiar
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Merseyside Police have warned the public to avoid similar scams ahead of Elsie’s funeral on Friday.
Detective inspector Steve Frame said taking advantage of Bebe’s death was “appalling”.
“Many frauds start by tricking people into entering their details into an apparently legitimate site,” he said.
“Take care when accessing websites, particularly those promoted by social media accounts – they may not be what they appear to be.”
The police also urged the public to never automatically click on a link in an unexpected email, text or social media post.
The force added: “Remember, email addresses and phone numbers can be spoofed, so don’t use those as a means to verify that a message or call is authentic.
“The best way to get in touch with a company is to use a known email or phone number, such as the one on the back of your bank card.”
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Earlier this week, the King visited Southport to meet with survivors of the attack and pay tribute to the emergency services who responded to it.
Elsie’s service, which her family have named Elsie’s Special Day, will be held in the Birkdale area of Southport on Friday.