Preventing Infant Abductions


September 14, 2012

The FBI is empowering parents to play a part in preventing infant abductions.


Audio Transcript

Mollie Halpern: The FBI is empowering parents to play a part in preventing infant abductions.

I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau, and this is FBI, This Week.

Emerging trends show women kidnappers are using social media and more violent methods to commit their crimes. Intelligence Analyst Ashli-Jade Douglas says when it comes to the Internet…

Ashli-Jade Douglas: Parents should ensure that their online privacy settings do not allow strangers to gain access to their personal information.

Halpern: Some social media sites can track your location—enabling offenders to have access to you.

Douglas: It’s called geo-locating and what it does is every time you take a picture, especially with smart phones, it has your location embedded in that picture.

Halpern: New parents should be careful when displaying pink or blue balloons outside of their homes to announce their bundle of joy.

Douglas: Doing so will advise random strangers that you have a new baby or that you will have a new baby in the home.

Halpern: If strangers—especially females—ask too many questions about your pregnancy or newborn, that’s a red flag.

Douglas: Immediately report that to local authorities.

Halpern: For more information, visit www.fbi.gov

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