The family of missing teenager Jay Slater has pleaded with strangers not to donate to fake fundraisers set up to find him.
The apprentice bricklayer's relatives have received sickening phone calls from cruel trolls since the fundraiser was created. Police and family members are searching for Jay, 19, after he went missing in Tenerife on Monday, where he and a friend had attended a music festival.
Seven fake GoFundMe pages have since been set up for donations in the family's name. The relatives were quick to take to social media to alert concerned strangers and tell them not to fall for it - but for some it was too late.
Jay's mother Debbie flew out today to look for her son, but said she has received several prank calls from hidden numbers claiming they had taken Jay and held him for ransom, describing the pranksters' jokes as "sickening". She said twisted Brits with "northern accents" had been phoning her with hidden numbers and said: "Some of the phone calls I've been getting have been horrible. I just don't know why people would want to do things like this."
And even more trolls posted false claims Jay had been found. However, he remains missing on the Canary Island and his last known movements were near Rural de Teno park, a mountainous area popular with hikers.
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A Facebook group set up by the family called "Jay Slater Missing" says: "This is the only official "missing Jay Slater" Facebook group. Jay's mother DOES NOT want a GoFundMe set up so DO NOT donate to one!!" Several panicked members replied to say there are "about seven" fake fundraisers people donated "£100+" to. They have all been taken down as of this morning, it is understood.
Jay Slater is missing in Tenerife
The teen's phone location showed he was in a mountainous area of a national park on Monday morning (Facebook)A final Snapchat video of the teen revealed he was smiling and laughing with his friend the night before he went missing in Tenerife. Speaking from the south of the island where her son had been staying, mother Debbie told Daily Mail: "I'm obviously beside myself with worry which is why I've flown out here with my eldest son to do anything we can to help.
"We're just praying the police or someone finds Jay. I know there's a mountain rescue team out and a helicopter. Nothing's ever going to be enough when your youngest son's gone missing but it sounds as if the police here are taking this very seriously and doing the best job they can.
"I've been getting lots of prank calls. It's sickening. People ringing me and saying they've got Jay because he owes them money. But it's not putting me off and I want to keep this in the news because it's going to increase the chances of Jay being found safe."
A Civil Guard spokeswoman in Tenerife stressed "everything possible" was being done to find Jay. A spokesperson said: "A specialist Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group called the Greim have been mobilised. A police helicopter is also out and focusing on the area around the village of Masca. Other emergency services including firefighters have also been mobilised. Everything possible is being done to try to find the missing man."
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said: "We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities."
A GoFundMe spokesman told the Mirror: "Our hearts go out to Jay Slater, his family and everyone else concerned about his disappearance. All campaigns are under review and no money will be transferred unless we can verify it goes straight to his family.
"At moments like this, we often see people set up campaigns to benefit strangers when they are moved to help. That is why we work with organisers to ensure any money donated goes to the right place.
"GoFundMe has a dedicated Trust & Safety team reviewing all relevant fundraisers. In addition to the team of experts, we deploy proprietary technical tools and have multiple processes in place to verify the identity of organizers and the recipient of the fundraiser. Before money is transferred, an individual or organization’s information, including their banking information, must be verified."
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