Amarillo Police Department Warns Against Serial Killer Scam

Information spreads like wildfire across social media platforms and often without a second thought. But they can act as an avenue for misinformation and scams to spread. The Amarillo Police Department (APD) warned against this in a recent cautionary post on their official Facebook page, Amarillo urging users to think critically before sharing sensitive information, especially when it comes to matters of public safety.

The department's post came from their discovery of a scam post circulating within an Amarillo Facebook group. The scam post had detailed a chilling scenario involving a supposed serial killer or abductor lurking in the county. According to the post, the alleged perpetrator targeted women driving alone, causing them to pull over with the intent of abducting them. The post even specified that the individual drove a truck with LED lights and urged readers to keep driving and call the police if they encountered such a vehicle.

Thankfully the APD was quick to catch this and debunked the scam post.

The dangers of sharing unverified or false information on social media platforms are well-documented. Misinformation can lead to unwarranted fear, confusion, and even real-world consequences. And in this instance, it was deemed to be enough of a concern for warrant a response from the APD.

As the APD rightly pointed out, it is crucial to verify the credibility of information, especially when it pertains to public safety matters. While social media platforms can be invaluable tools for disseminating urgent information, they can also be breeding grounds for sensationalized or fabricated content.