Latest news with #KatieCunningham
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
Scammers target users with fake missing police officer posts
A social media scam going around on Facebook and other social media platforms has alleged that a female police officer has gone missing. The hoax is claiming that Officer Katie Cunningham has gone missing in hopes that users will share the post, allowing scammers to edit it with dangerous links. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Dayton building crumbles during severe weather PHOTOS: Damage reported after severe storms Sunday Damage reported as severe storms move through region The post allows scammers to post a local city or county in the area you live in to make it look local. Law enforcement agencies around the country have asked the public to take a closer look at and think twice about sharing suspicious posts and then report them. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
Buckeye police warn viral Facebook posts claiming officer is missing are a 'scam'
Police are warning the public about an online scam that falsely claims a police officer has gone missing, saying social media users should 'think twice' before clicking any suspicious links or providing personal information. Police pointed to a post in a local Buckeye Facebook group that claimed a female police officer 'has gone missing' from Buckeye 'and the authorities are seeking assistance in locating her.' 'This is a scam. Be suspicious of any post like this that lacks specific details like time, location or police contact info, and always think twice before clicking suspicious links or providing banking info,' Buckeye police said in a social media post. The officer pictured in the post is Katie Cunningham, a sergeant with Montana's Great Falls Police Department. Cunningham is not missing, her employer said online, pointing to a similar misleading post in a Michigan Facebook group. 'We just spoke to her, and she is alive and well,' the Great Falls Police Department wrote. 'When Cunningham sent her husband the screenshot, he asked if there is a reward,' the department continued, adding a laughing emoji. There are several errors in the post that helped identify the post as a scam, Great Falls police said. For example, Cunningham is described as being 5 feet 9 inches, but she's only 5 feet 3 inches in real life, police confirmed. Plus, the photo used in the post is 10 years old, and her age is listed incorrectly they said. Police said those who see the scam can warn others by leaving comments pointing out that it is fake. 'We're not sure what the scammers hope to gain by making posts like this. Please help set the record straight,' Great Falls police said. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Viral missing officer post is fake, Buckeye police say
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Yahoo
See a missing police officer post? It's likely part of a nationwide scam, authorities say
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) — Have you seen a post on Facebook recently, asking you to be on the lookout for a missing police officer? Chances are, you're actually seeing a scam post, 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. US at risk of losing health designation it's had for 25 years 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.' 'Love, Alex': Young woman who dies of cancer writes own moving obituary 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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
