The mother of a missing Stornoway teenager is warning people of ‘scam fundraisers’ taking advantage of her family’s horrific situation.
Aleksandr Benga, 16, was last seen at around 8.45am on Monday, November 18, near to the water wheel in the grounds of Lews Castle.
The search for him is ongoing, and has involved specialist police resources from across Scotland aswell as the coastguard, mountain rescue volunteers, and lifeboat support.
Viktoria Benga, the mother of Aleksandr, has been pleading for information since his disappearance, “begging” for help to find her “darling son”.
Now, she is warning people to be aware of a “scam” fundraiser circulating.
“There is no fundraising for Aleksandr,” she said.
“Not me or my family haven’t set anything at this present moment.
“Do not send money to anyone for this matter.”
She added: “Please be cautious.”
Aleksandr is described as 6ft 2ins tall, of a slim build with short brown hair.
When last seen, he was wearing a beige jumper and black jeans. He had a yellow beanie hat with him.
As well as emergency crews searching for Aleksandr, police have also been stopping drivers to gather information.
Police have been increasingly worried for him, with temperatures dropping to as low as -9C on the Isle of Lewis during the search.
Officers urge public to ‘be vigilant’ with fraudulent sites
In a post on social media, Police Scotland said: “We have been made aware of a potential fraudulent fundraising page circulating on social media regarding the search for Aleksandr Benga, who was reported missing from Stornoway on November 18.
“Aleksandr’s family have not set up any fundraising and we would urge the public to be vigilant with such sites and report anything of concern to us.”
Inspector Euan Cowan has said the search for Aleksandr remains ongoing, and has urged for anyone with information to get in touch.
“Specialist officers and partner agencies are still carrying out searches to find missing 16-year-old Aleksandr Benga,” Inspector Euan Cowan added,
“We urge anyone with any information to get in touch with us immediately.
“Please check your gardens, outbuildings and sheds in case he may have sought shelter there.
“Please also check any private CCTV or dashcam footage from Monday, 11 November, 2024 for sightings of him.
“Anyone with information, no matter how small, should contact Police Scotland via 101 as soon as possible, quoting incident 0803 of November 18.”
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