In Green Bay, Wisconsin, locals have been warned about a circulating Facebook post claiming that a “serial killer on the loose” is attempting to break into homes in the area. However, it is important to note that this post is likely a hoax.
Posts like these are not originating from law enforcement agencies. Instead, they are being shared within Facebook “buy/sell/trade” groups. What’s interesting is that these posts utilize mugshots from various unrelated cases, with some not even from the United States.
The posts display mugshots accompanied by a cautionary caption, alerting individuals about a supposed “serial killer” roaming free within their local community. However, conducting a reverse image search uncovers that these mugshots actually belong to individuals who have been apprehended, found guilty, or are being sought after for unrelated offenses and have no connection to the communities in Wisconsin.
One of the pictures features a woman who, although she is a serial killer, was convicted a decade ago and is currently serving time in England. It is important to note that she is not currently at large.
People are sharing these posts in Facebook groups dedicated to buying, selling, and trading items within specific local areas.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin was recently alerted to a Facebook post regarding a “serial killer” attempting to gain entry into people’s homes.
“The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has not received any reports of this nature. After conducting some research, we have determined that this appears to be a scam circulating on the Internet,” stated the sheriff’s office in a recent post.
Last year, the Shawano County Classifieds Facebook page received several posts about a “missing” child, urging people to “spread the word” in order to assist in identifying the child. These types of posts have circulated on Facebook before, and it is important to note that the aforementioned post was fake.
Scammers often employ deceptive tactics by creating fake posts about missing children or pets, aiming to gain a large number of shares. However, they later switch the content of the post to promote rental properties or surveys for prizes. These types of posts are less likely to be shared compared to genuine reports about missing children.
Instead of sharing it, Facebook asks users to report the listing or leave comments stating that these classified ads featuring missing children are scams.
