See a missing police officer post? It's likely part of a nationwide scam, authorities say
The post includes a photo of a female police officer, apparently named Katie Cunningham, 28, 'who went missing yesterday morning.' It goes on to claim her daughter was found in her car, but the 5'9″, 163-pound officer had not been located. In the midst of her purported disappearance, the post says 'a silver alert has been issued.'
Thankfully, none of the information in the post is true — almost.
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Police in Evansville, Indiana, warned its residents that the post has been shared in multiple cities nationwide, often claiming the officer is from the local community. But as Evansville police and others note, they don't have an officer Katie Cunningham.
In Texas, the Chambers County Sheriff's Office said the post is a hoax and it appears to be part of a wider scam 'designed to go viral.'
Part of the post is, technically, accurate.
Police in Great Falls, Montana, noted that the photo is a real officer: their own Sergeant Katie Cunningham. In a Friday post to Facebook, the department noted that Cunningham is 'alive and well at Great Falls High, working as the SRO supervisor.'
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They also noted several other signs the post is fake, including the 10-year-old photo with an incorrect rank and Cunningham being 'very petite' at 5'3.' Plus, a Silver Alert refers to a missing elderly person, which Cunningham is not.
'We're not sure what the scammers hope to gain by making posts like this,' Great Falls police said.
Authorities are asking the public not to share the post and to always verify information through official local law enforcement.
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