The best friend of a teenager found dead after a two-week search has revealed pranksters continuously called her with fake updates.
Hala Mohamad, 18, was close to Richard Okorogheye, 19, whose body was discovered in Epping Forest, Essex on April 5.
The student, who was said to be struggling with shielding due to the pandemic, went missing from his home in London on March 22.
Mum Evidence Joel, 39, raised the alarm the following day - although police did not record Mr Okorogheye as missing until March 24.
A watchdog probe has been opened into the Metropolitan Police's handling of the case.
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Fears grew for Mr Okorogheye after his disappearance from Ladbroke Grove, with family and friends issuing desperate pleas for information.
And Ms Mohamad has now said that, while some people tried to help, she also received a number of callous calls.
She told the BBC 1Xtra 'If You Don't Know' podcast: "It was crazy.
"Every day I'd get calls and texts and people adding me to group chats and people DM’ing me on Insta, on Twitter, people finding my Snap.
"And then there was prank calls, really stupid prank calls of people saying I've seen Richard, or I've found his body.
"In the moment it was all too much. I would text my friends and be like 'I can't handle this anymore, it's too much for me’, because in a stupid way it gave me hope.
"I wasn't in the best shape, I'm still not. I'm still trying to push past it.
"I could barely sleep because every time I'd sleep I'd get a call and think even though it's no caller ID maybe it's the police or maybe someone did find something.
"I had to answer every call that I could."
Ms Joel has claimed police did not take her reports that Mr Okorogheye was missing seriously initially.
And Ms Mohamad added: "They could've checked CCTV earlier, they could've taken us seriously earlier instead of just saying 'he's an adult, he's fine, he'll be with a friend'."
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating complaints and is considering whether race played a role in the way the Metropolitan Police handled the case.
The force said it could not discuss specifics while there is an ongoing investigation.
Announcing a probe on Monday, the IOPC's regional director Sal Naseem said: "Our thoughts are with Richard’s family and friends and all those affected by this tragic loss.
"We have spoken to his family and explained our role.
"Our investigation will establish whether the police responded appropriately to the concerns raised that Richard was missing.
"We will examine whether the force appropriately risk assessed those reports, and if the amount of resources the Metropolitan Police dedicated to its enquiries were suitable based on the information known by the police and the risks posed.
"As there is a mandatory requirement for police forces to refer to us incidents which result in a death or serious injury, we will examine the actions and decisions of the police when dealing with the missing person report made in respect of a vulnerable young man.
"We will also consider whether Richard’s or his mother’s ethnicity played a part in the way the initial reports of his disappearance were handled."
