Fake 'Missing Boy' Post Draws Message From Hoboken Police

HOBOKEN, NJ — Is a little boy missing from Hoboken and in "extreme danger"?

No, Hoboken police say.

On Monday, a post spread on local social media from a woman named Veronica saying, "Greyson was reported missing by the Police Department about two hours ago here in Hobaken [sic] NJ." Hoboken was spelled incorrectly.

The post added, "He is diagnosed with autism and needs daily medications."

Monday night, the Hoboken police posted on social media, "We are aware of this social media post. Our detectives looked into this post and discovered it is a false post. There have been no reports of a missing child in City of Hoboken or surrounding areas."

They also posted a photo of the social media post with "SCAM" written across it in red.

A quick internet search turns up legitimate news reports saying a 3-year-old boy with that name was temporarily missing in Maine with his mother in September, but not in Hoboken.

The boy's photo has been shared recently in other areas of the country, including in Newark and in El Paso, according to posts and reports.

"Yard sale and car rental company pages often made the claims, using missing person cases to gain engagement," noted one website.

The response from the Hoboken police to the scam is here.

The Hoboken police non-emergency number is 201-420-1000. In emergencies, call 911.