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In today's "e-world", e-mail is a very effective way to communicate a message to a large group of people in a very short time period. There are very few people who do not have access to the Internet or possess an e-mail address. Therefore, it only makes sense, especially in such a desperate and time sensitive situation like a missing person case, the Internet would be used to inform people of the situation. Naturally, the more people who are looking for someone, the better the chances of them being found.

As most people know, there have been cases of dishonest and foolhardy individuals who send out fake e-mails claiming that their "loved one" has vanished or came into harm. Sometimes it seems that there is no better reason for it than just for fun but other times a request for money to help with the cause is added to the email, usually directed to a pay pal account or some other means where verification of where the funds go would be difficult, if not impossible.

Since we are compassionate human beings who have an obligation to look out for one another, even if we don't know them, we have to do all that we can to help. But we are also intelligent people who need to look into the facts before deciding whether to forward the e-mail and/or send money. Again, with the ease of the Internet, this should only take seconds to verify the legitimacy of the email and make an informed decision.

Chances are very good that you are not the first one to receive this email, unless you are close family or friends of the person who is missing and would already know whether it's the truth. Otherwise, hundreds or more people have already read the email before you. If the email is a phony, it is quite probable, that it has already been posted on the Internet.

To find out the truth use your favorite search engine (mine is Google) and type in the subject line of your email. If the email has already been verified as a fake, the subject line with brings you to forums or other web sites that reveal spam emails such as these.

If nothing comes up or you are still uncertain, go back to your search engine and type in the name of the missing individual. The first thing someone does when they realize a family member is missing, is report it to the police. Once the police are aware, the media is too and voila, the missing person's name is in the papers, on-line news web sites and so on. If the name you type in does not show up anywhere indicating that they are missing, then delete the email and keep your money. It's a fake!

If you do discover that the e-mail is fraudulant, it might also be wise to forward it to the local police department (especially if money is asked for) so that they are aware of the situation. This way you can possibly prevent some poor unsuspecting soul from being scammed.

Please do not completely dismiss these emails as fakes right away. It is very possible that there is a terrified family out there desperately seeking information about their loved one. By using your head and the power of the Internet you can easily protect yourself from the frauds and give your heart and time to the ones who truly need you.

Learn more about this author, L. A. Brown.
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