Have you ever received an SMS message from a strange number about missing persons?
And wondered if it was a scam?
Well, wonder no more, because it's official! The NSW Police Force has introduced a new geo-targeting alert system to aid in the search for missing persons.
In particular, police use the tool in high-risk circumstances. Before sending a message, police take an assessment of all available information.
What is a high-risk missing person?
Basically, the following people are high-risk missing people:
- People living with mental illness,
- People living with dementia who might have wandered from their home,
- Young children.
When these people go missing, there are serious concerns for their safety. Basically, the police need to locate them quickly. Therefore, police send the alert to those in the vicinity of the missing person.
What to do if you receive an SMS Geo-Targeting for missing persons in Australia?
The police might send you a SMS message from +61 444 444 444. If they do, it's important you read it. The message includes the name and a description of the missing person. Therefore, if you have sighted the missing person, please ring 000 immediately. After that, report the person's whereabouts or pass on your information.
The emergency alert messages are part of a strategy developed in 2019. The NSW Police Force's Missing Persons Registry wanted to reduce the number of people who go missing long-term. In addition, they wanted to improve the safety and well-being of high-risk people within Australia.
In conclusion, the SMS geo-targeting system is a vital addition to keeping missing persons safe. It allows the NSW Police Force to quickly alert those in the vicinity of a missing person to help locate them as soon as possible.
