Jay Slater's family has issued a warning about circulating GoFundMe pages amid the teenager's disappearance.
As of this writing, rescue teams - along with search dogs and volunteers - are still searching for the missing 19-year-old, who was reported missing on Monday during a vacation with friends in Tenerife.
Jay - of Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, UK - had traveled to Tenerife for the NRG music festival. However, after a night out with friend Lucy on Sunday (June 16), Jay reportedly opted to stay with a group of people he had met that evening rather than return to the friends' shared apartment.
Lucy says she received a call from Jay at around 8:15AM on Monday morning, during which, he told her that he was unsure where he was, that his phone battery was critically low, he was thirsty, and that he was going to try and walk around 10 hours back to their apartment.
Jay was reported missing just after 9:00AM on Monday, with his mom and brother flying out to Tenerife on Tuesday morning following advice from UK police.
Amid the growing concerns for Jay, a number of GoFundMe pages have appeared calling for donations to be made.
However, his loved ones have pleaded with social media users to ignore these pages.
In a Facebook group dedicated to sharing information about Jay's disappearance - which has amassed more than 160,000 followers - the teen's loved ones have shared the following message:
"This is the ONLY official ‘missing Jay Slater’ facebook group," the message reads. "Jay’s mother DOES NOT want a GoFundMe set up so DO NOT donate to one!! If this changes one of the admins will post."
Amid the confusion, officials from GoFundMe have also released a statement, per Manchester Evening News, saying: 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 organizers 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."
A Timeline of Jay Slater's Disappearance:
Sunday evening, June 16: Jay spends the evening with friends but decides to stay out longer and joins other acquaintances, one of whom has a rental car.
8:35PM: Jay appears in the last Snapchat video before his disappearance, dressed in a grey t-shirt with green trim.
Monday, June 17, 8:15AM: Jay calls his friend Lucy, informing her that he is lost in a remote area, thirsty, and his phone battery is at 1%. He explains that he missed the bus back and is trying to navigate using a maps app on his phone.
8:50AM: Jay's phone battery dies.
9:04AM: Local authorities in Tenerife are notified about Jay's disappearance.
Tuesday, 2:00AM: Police officers inform Jay's mother, Debbie Duncan, and stepfather, Andy Watson, about his disappearance when they visit their home.
Tuesday, 11:35AM: Debbie Duncan and Jay's brother Zak arrive in Tenerife after boarding the earliest available flight.
A spokesperson from the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office has stated: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.”
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