Residents of Buckeye, Arizona, were recently caught in a web of confusion when a social media post claiming that a local police officer named Katie Cunningham had gone missing circulated online. The Buckeye Police Department was quick to clarify that no officer from their force was missing. Instead, the announcement was a scam designed to exploit emotions and possibly extract personal information from unsuspecting individuals.
Buckeye Police Department officials provided a straightforward message on this matter, warning the public against the false narrative. "This is a scam," read a portion of the police department's statement. The department emphasized the importance of scrutinizing posts that lack vital details, such as specific times, locations, or official police contact information. Adding to their counsel, they advised against clicking on suspicious links or sharing banking information in response to such posts.
The ostensibly "missing" officer is, in actuality, Sergeant Cunningham, serving more than a thousand miles away with the Great Falls Police Department in Montana. Her department confirmed her well-being and ongoing service as the school resource officer supervisor. The scam post not only misrepresented Cunningham's location but also her physical description and job title, claiming she was 5 feet 9 inches tall and of a different rank. As outlined in a report by the New York Post, the photo used in the scam is also outdated by a decade and incorrectly lists her age.
While the intentions behind the scam remain unclear, the Great Falls Police Department humorously shared their sergeant's reaction, upon seeing the viral post, "When Cunningham sent her husband the screenshot, he asked if there is a reward," alongside a laughing emoji, as reported by the New York Post. Both police departments are advising the public to stay vigilant against such scams and to help correct the narrative by commenting on such posts to indicate their fraudulent nature.
