A fake post claiming a police officer named Carolyn Lynch is missing is now posted on Alaska Facebook groups like “Alaska sell personal items,” where scammers falsely claim she’s based in Anchorage.
It has been confirmed the post is a hoax with no truth behind it. This is part of a broader scam previously targeting Facebook groups in other states such as Durham, North Carolina; Citrus County, Florida; Birmingham, Alabama; Orange, Texas; and Girard, Ohio.
Earlier versions of the message claimed Officer Lynch was missing from York County. Now scammers are using the same fabricated story and changing the only location to match regional Facebook groups.
The nearly identical post in every case reads, “Carolyn, Lynch (27), a female police officer, has gone missing, and authorities are seeking assistance in locating her.” It continues by stating her vehicle was found with her daughter inside and that a Silver Alert has been issued.
The message urges users to share the post quickly and is an example of engagement bait designed to trigger emotional reactions and rapid sharing. However, officials from York County have confirmed that the post is fake.
Due to their minimal content restrictions, scammers typically target public Facebook groups like buy-sell-trade pages. There’s no direct phishing link in the post. Still, cybersecurity experts warn that scammers use these tactics to identify users more likely to fall for future scams, including malicious links or fake sign-up offers.
If you see a post about Carolyn Lynch, do not share it. Instead, report it to Facebook and verify all missing person alerts through official police channels or reputable news sources. Stay alert, and always double-check before you click “share.”
