BE AWARE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PREYING ON LOVED ONES OF THE MISSING!!!!!

[Sharon Garry]

This is a Message for Loved ones of the Missing: ONE MAJOR rule of thumb is to NEVER involve yourself, or your case with anyone with an AGENDA!!! If they are looking for money, notoriety, or any type of reward, they are dangerous! It is too risky to allow someone who is so self serving to be involved in a case as sensitive as this.

 

They will not handle things in your best interest or concidering the integrity of your case! They are selfish people who are desperately looking for an opportunity to take advantage of you in this time of panic and pain! They will come accross compassionate and like they know what you are going through, but that is all rehearsed! WATCH FOR THE RED FLAGS! They ask for money, they talk about the expenses, they ask you to contact the media, they prepare press releases, they give your contact information to other people just like them so they can prey on you too!!

 

Do your homework before rusting someone with your case! Have they ever found anyone before? They may say so, but they cannot make false claims in real news stories, so check the sources, like local newspapers, etc. What kind of resources do they have? What is the operating principles and procedures that they follow? Do NOT be afraid to ask very specific questions about what thier intentions are, and why they are helping people, (you). 

 

I KNOW! I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING for my sister and her little girl for nearly TEN years and I have watched this EXPLODE as an industry filled with opportunities to take advantage of people who are suffering and are desperate to find answers! They cannot help you, they are not in this for YOU, THEY ARE IN IT for themselves! PLEASE be aware and protect yourselves!!

 

Currently, there is a BULK email going out to Families of missing loved ones from an organization called PROJECT ANGEL EYES...It appears to be a marketing scam for a large group of psychics! DO NOT FALL FOR THIS! They will tell you heart wrenching things, get you on the edge of your seat, then ask you for money to help you find your loved one!

 

There are a few wonderful people, advocates and true angels on earth who will help guide you in the right directiuon so that you can get the help you need with your case. MANY OF THEM ARE RIGHT HERE ON PEACE4!!

I KNOW the heartache and desperation you are going through, but PLEASE do not choose to work with, advocate for, or help these people to further thier agenda of shamelessly taking advantage of people whos hearts are already breaking!!

 

Love & Prayers

 Sharon Garry

www.missingtinaandbeth.org

[Maureen Reintjes-Peace4 Admin]

Thank you Sharon!!!

[Brian Schider]

Well said. More people should advocate this. Thank you for sharing your well written thoughts and facts.

[Sara Huizenga]

I'm so sorry one too many of you have had to endure this on top of everything else - and so thankful for your voices when they speak out to help each other ... like you have here ... xoxoxo

[Sara Huizenga]

I'm so sorry one too many of you have had to endure this on top of everything else - and so thankful for your voices when they speak out to help each other ... like you have here ... xoxoxo

[Sharon Garry]

When a loved one of a missing person is looking for answers, its really hard not to make choices from emotions. PLEASE think things out carefully before you make the wrong ones and cause yourself more difficulty and maybe even sacrifice your case.
There are many organizations, advocates, private investigators who offer services to help solve missing person cases.
Like with anything, they are not all what they may claim to be, and they are not perfect. Some mean well, and appear to make great efforts, but that doesnt mean they will be helpful to you or in your case.
Check into backgrounds and history, ask people who you DO trust to help you find to decide the best direction to go in.
Ask some very specific questions about how many cases they have actually solved or had a part in solving. How many people have they actually found. What kind of money is involved (and dont let them tell you thier services are free, even the best things in life arent free anymore) Ask why they do the work they do.
This may sound Jaded, but there is no such thing as a Selfless Act. Everyone has an agenda, and a reason for why they do things. No one does something entirely from the kindness of thier heart.
People are self-serving on many different levels, and determining this is very important in deciding whether someone will be helpful, or harmful to your efforts.
Some people do kind things for others, because it gives them a warm, happy feeling inside to do so, and they genuinly do care. The level of compassion and passion that they have are often a driving force for them.
Some people need a project, something to do in thier lives so that they can feel like they are making a difference. The level of drive they have often has to do with how much they care about how others feel about them and thier own opinions of themselves.
For others, fame and notoriety motivates them. They have decided to make this thier lifes work, has recieved attention for what they do, and have realized that they can get alot of attention for solving a case, so they try really hard to do so.
Some people see these circumstances as a way to manipulate desperate people and get money from them. They create big fund raisers, and hold huge media events as advocates for the missing and thier loved ones. They work very hard on media events and fund raisers, but you really need to look at where that money goes. Is it being used to help investigate the cases? Or is it being used for more traveling and more campaigning?

I have observed in the nearly ten years that I have been involved with many of the types of advocates I have described above, many shifts and changes. Alot of the people I describe may have started out with the very best intentions, and thier missions got blurred, they got overwhelmed by the number of cases that came to them, then started choosing the cases that they felt were the easiest to solve and get credit for while the more difficult and complicated cases got pushed to the back of thier files.
No one wants thier missing loved one forgotten, and you never will, which makes you the best possible advocate for your case. YOU have to stay on top of it and constantly evaluate the motives and agendas of the other people involved. You may have to bruise a couple of egos once in a while, by standing up for your case, but this is not about THEM, it is about the Victim, the missing loved one, and then its about YOU, and making sure you arent going through any more than you have to in order to complete your agenda! Which is the simplest one out of anyone isnt bit??
FIND MY LOVED ONE and GET US

[Maureen Reintjes-Peace4 Admin]

Unfortunately what we are seeing are people that look like they are orgs but are not organized legally. But any org, legal or not, can pad references so that is not always a good indicator of the validity or worthiness of an org.

In the MySpace days there was one woman who was multiple people. Those who weren't in a know would have thought this person was the most wonderful person in the world, afterall all these people were coming forward attesting to that....in fact all those testamonies were from the person herself.

We had another that said she was a non profit and when you checked with her state, she was never organized as a non profit. First step should be checking with the State to make sure they are formed as a legit org.

I suggest making sure that they have in place all things a real non profit should have in place. They should have and post a legal address (not a po), phone numbers, list of their board members, provide financial statements on request, list of their by laws. If they are funded/endorsed by such and such entity contact such and such entity and make sure they even know them. Check with the BBS and see if complaints have come in about them. Check with the BBS as they use to have great info for the public on how to decide who to work with.

If they say everything is free and you start working with them and all of a sudden there are fees/donations for this and that ... turn them in and run the other way!

Bottom line is NO org should be asking the families of the missing for money at anytime in their relationship. And, NO organization owns a case.

[Maureen Reintjes-Peace4 Admin]

Kelly has never asked money from the families of the missing. Kelly organized quickly into a non profit and has a professional working board...not just a board on paper. She also has a full-time job and would never want her non profit to fund her life.

DoeNetwork doesn't try and pretend it's something it is not. And to my knowledge doesn't ask for donations from the families.

I too spend money out of pocket to pay for my work with the missing but there is no way I would ask anyone to repay what I do as I'm sure you didn't ask anyone to do either.

However there are people out there that think they can make a living off of the families of the missing and that is wrong. There are others out there that pass themselves off as experts and make all sorts of promises to the families that they never fulfill. And, others out there that do nothing but lie to the families.

There's a huge difference between a good person or group that reaches out to help the families but it's at the preying on the families level when they say now pay me for my kindness.

[Maureen Reintjes-Peace4 Admin]

Dang Patty we're not fighting? Shoot! :)

Agreed some ligitimate groups are not non profits and I have no problem with that as long as they are functioning professionally and not causing additional hell to the families. My concern are the flim flam artists, scammers who have only $ signs in their sight and who could care less about the families.

[Maureen Reintjes-Peace4 Admin]

:)

[Sara Huizenga]

LOL @ Mo and Patty "almost but not really conflict" here (mostly at Mo ... ;-)

[Maureen Reintjes-Peace4 Admin]

:) Patty and I could have a real fight and still love each other in the end.

[Sharon Garry]

This is a situation that is very driven by passion, anger and frustration, and its easy to get emotional and mis-direct it or misunderstand eachother...anyone in this understands that. Im a very forgiving person when it comes to that, because I myself have been responsible for unintentionally hurting someones feelings. Im the first to apoligize and can only hope the person is as understanding as I am...we all should be...and should stick together...POWER in numbers!