Hoax Alert - Ashley Flores Is Not Missing

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Several years ago, a flier began making the rounds on the Internet. It proclaims that Ashley Flores, a 13 year old girl, was missing. The flier contains all kinds of emotional text but little valuable details. There are no valuable details on the flier because there aren't any.

It's a hoax.

The clue: It refers to a a detective in the Omaha Police Department, but the supposed missing girl is from Philadelphia.

The darned hoax was almost gone and all of a sudden, it has resurfaced. I've gotten the flier four times in the last two days, so you're probably going to receive it soon.

DO NOT FORWARD THE EMAIL. In fact, reply to it and inform the well-meaning sender that it is a hoax.

You can learn more about it by following these links:

Help Find The Missing - Amber Flores is NOT missing

snopes

 

[baychef]

I have often wondered who the idiot is who has too much time on their hands. There are so many of these hoaxes. I use snopes all of the time and reply with the link. One even had a link that it was verified to be true by snopes...and the link was not accurate. When I did search snopes, the e-mail was a false one!

 

[reba515]

Yup I just got the email the other day (again)
thanks KG

 

[Kodeysmom]

I got it again the other day as well after not seeing it for quite a while.

 

[chefmary]

I could easily be a sucker for all of these emails that show up from (mostly)well-meaning people, but before I click the "forward" button, I check this site:

Hoax Busters - the BIG LIST of Internet Hoaxes

I don't want to be the one to perpetuate a bad email!

 

[lacychef]

yeah, I've gotten that before; didn't realize it wasn't true....thanks KG

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

There's something about all of them that just doesn't seem right. When there is a real missing person, the flier will usually contain vital information, like this real missing person:http://www.crimelibrary.com/graphics/photos/news/original/0407/jamie_harper/Heather-Zimmerman(2)200.jpgMissing Since: May 26, 1997 from Gifford, Illinois
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: October 17, 1977
Age: 19 years old
Height and Weight: 5'6; 115 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Blonde hair; green eyes. Heather has a tattoo of three red roses with a black stem on her left outer ankle. She is right-handed.When that sort of information is not in the flier, and there is only an emotional plea, the chances are good that it is a hoax. Do check the story, though, because every missing person deserves all the attention that only a handful of stories get.(For more about this real missing person, see Heather Dawn Zimmerman Missing Since May 26, 1997.)

 

[redsoxgirl]

I have often wondered who the idiot is who has too much time on their hands. There are so many of these hoaxes. I use snopes all of the time and reply with the link. One even had a link that it was verified to be true by snopes...and the link was not accurate. When I did search snopes, the e-mail was a false one!

I've gotten one recently that is about Obama and it says Snopes says it's true - which is incorrect. Snopes says it's false!

I hate when I get emails from people where a 2 second research trip proves the email wrong. :grumpy:

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

The clever hoaxsters think that if they reference snopes, you won't look. Which is exactly the reason to go to snopes and look anyway. These people play upon your emotions and, like spammers, they count on the new and inexperienced to blindly forward their junk - which the new and inexperienced gladly do.(The Soviets used to refer to people like that as "useful idiots" for obvious reasons, and counted on them to do their dirty work. So does a certain American political party, and that works, too.)Experienced users can also get scammed sometimes, like the Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide experiment a couple of months ago.

 

[janetupnorth]

Experienced users can also get scammed sometimes, like the Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide experiment a couple of months ago.

That is one of my favorite ones. :love: Where is that evil grin smiley when you need it.

 

[baychef]

Yah, rub it in, KG...I usually don't fall but you had me falling face first in the pile of BS...hook, line and sinker!!! I am still ashamed to this day!!!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I wouldn't have even remembered that if you hadn't said something.But that's an example of just how easy it is to get swept away by something that sounds really good.

 

[lacychef]

I had to laugh a little; just got this email in my inbox! I replied back to the sender that it's not true.