Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten has dismissed social media rumors claiming the presence of a “serial killer” in the area as false.
If you search for this supposed serial killer on social media, you’ll find numerous accounts of his presence in cities across the country. According to reports, he has been posing as a homeless person, targeting vulnerable individuals.
There are claims of him assaulting a single mother with a knife and deceiving an older woman by offering to assist her with her groceries before stealing her vehicle.
According to Patten, the location and ages of the women may vary in each post, but the core of the story remains unchanged. This is because it is simply a hoax.
He dismissed the viral social media content as fake.
According to him, this is not the first post of its kind that aims to instill fear in communities. There has been a rise in the creation and sharing of such posts by unsuspecting users on social media.
“I’ve come across numerous posts of this nature, and none of them are genuine. There is absolutely no reason for citizens to feel alarmed. These fake posts are circulating all over Facebook with the intention of instilling fear.
My phone has been constantly ringing, and I’ve been receiving multiple text messages. It is crucial for the public to understand: there is no cause for alarm. That post is completely false.”
Patten also mentioned that there has been a rise in the number of scams where individuals pretend to be a business, financial institution, or law enforcement agency in order to deceive people and obtain their personal financial information.
“We receive numerous calls on a daily basis, and it’s disheartening to see an increasing number of people falling victim to scams through various platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. These scams often involve individuals unknowingly sharing their personal information with strangers.”
Patten urged the public to safeguard themselves by verifying the authenticity of a message through reliable sources like the Better Business Bureau or their local law enforcement agency. He also encouraged those who have fallen victim to such scams to promptly report their experience.
According to him, the general public is being urged by the FBI to report these types of crimes to a newly established division. If individuals experience such incidents, they are encouraged to inform the authorities.