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Calgary police are warning of a donation scam surrounding an 11-year-old boy who has been missing for a week.
Police said in a Facebook post Tuesday it’s become aware of an online fundraising campaign that claims to support the search for Parker, who went missing on July 16.
“This fundraiser is not authorized and has no connection to Parker’s family. At this time, the family has confirmed that there is no official GoFundMe associated with this case,” the post reads.
“Police are urging the public to use caution when contributing to online fundraisers and to verify the legitimacy of any donation campaign before making a contribution.”
Parker, who is neurodivergent and non-verbal, was last seen at his day home in the 0 to 100 block of Connaught Drive near Northmount Drive Northwest sometime between 11:08 a.m. and 11:41 a.m. on July 16.
On Saturday, two days after he went missing, police received special permission from the province to issue an Amber Alert, even though it said, so far, there’s no evidence he was abducted.
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A map, provided by police on Tuesday, showed Parker heading northeast toward the community of Highwood.
It’s “believed” to have travelled along Northmount Drive to the area around Centre Street and McKnight Boulevard — possibly doubling back at times — and was last picked up on video in the 5000 to 6000 block of Travis Crescent N.E. at around 12:52 p.m. on July 16.
More than 400 officers have been involved in the search for the missing boy, following up on more than 300 public tips, police said.
Officers have covered more than 7,000 kilometres — the equivalent of the distance from Calgary to London, England — over a total of 5,500 search hours.
Hundreds of search and rescue experts, along with concerned community members, have also been involved in the search.
Despite the huge outpouring of help from the community, police on Tuesday also issued a warning about people showing up at private residences and confronting the people who live there or attempting to investigate criminal tips on their own.
Parker’s family is thanking Calgarians for their “compassion, determination and truly heroic efforts,” saying in a social media post Tuesday it is an “incredibly painful time” for them.
Police said Parker is four feet 11 inches tall, weighs approximately 90 pounds and has brown hair, a shaved head and brown eyes. He was last seen shirtless, wearing dark shorts and black noise-cancelling headphones.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
— with files from Global News’ Ken MacGillivray
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