Arvada police warn of missing officer scam as online post gains momentum
DENVER (KDVR) — The Arvada Police Department is warning residents not to fall for an online post that it is calling a scam.
The post was made in an Arvada neighbors Facebook group and shows images of a smiling female officer and a black Dodge vehicle with multiple gunshot holes through the windshield. The post names the officer as Carolyn Lynch, 27, and says she has gone missing.
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The post includes other disturbing details, involving a purported daughter who was found inside an allegedly abandoned vehicle, and says that a 'Silver Alert' has been issued.
Silver Alerts are issued for missing persons, especially older adult citizens with Alzheimer's disease, dementia or other mental disabilities. Colorado does not use the term Silver Alert and will instead issue a Missing Senior Citizen Alert, a Missing Persons with Developmental Disabilities Alert, Medina Alert, Blue Alert, Endangered/missing/media Alert or AMBER Alert.
The Arvada Police Department took to social media to combat the misinformation.
'Needless to say, this is a scam,' the department stated. 'If you see this, please report the post and ask the page administrators to remove immediately.'
A reverse image search of the officer's photo shows dozens of posts saying the officer is associated with departments in Texas, Georgia, Alabama and other states. A reverse image search of the vehicle connects it to November 2018 media reports in Florida.
It's unclear what the person behind the post is hoping to gain.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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