The South African Police Service at Mount Road have once again warned social media users to make absolutely sure of their information before posting it online.
This warning is issued after a voice note was transmitted on a chat group by a concerned mother who indicated that a strange woman attempted to lure her child into her vehicle.
Police have since been inundated with messages from people wanting to know whether such information was true.
In the voice note, which The Herald has received, the mother claims that a woman in a silver vehicle tried to lure her children into the car as they were walking home from school in a Port Elizabeth suburb, accompanied by a nanny.
Police have interviewed the mother concerned and have also viewed the CCTV footage and the perception has somewhat differed from the original note.
The mentioned vehicle or incident could not be traced on the CCTV footage as the encounter may have taken place outside the camera’s view.
An urgent appeal is made to people who suspect a crime may have been committed or witness anything suspicious, to contact the police first to verify such information.
In cases where children are involved, the Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) may be contacted as well as the sector manager of your particular area.
“Discuss your concerns and let us together make informed decisions before posting on social media,” police advised.
This is the second incident where information may have been misconstrued without verifying the facts. In May 2017, an innocent Uber driver was the target of social media users.
"Police would like to commend the public on their vigilance regarding safety while at the same time we must be cautious how information is relayed on social media without verification. Distortion of facts can have dire consequences and cause unnecessary panic and mayhem in the community.
"Social media is an important communication platform and assist police in combatting crime and arresting criminals."