April 10, 2025 – Green Bay, WI — The Green Bay Police Department is alerting the public to a fraudulent social media post falsely claiming that a police officer named Kate McArthur is missing. This viral Facebook scam has been widely circulated across “buy and sell” groups and community pages, misleading the public and exploiting genuine concern to further deceptive online schemes.
Authorities have confirmed that no such missing officer exists within the Green Bay Police Department, and no official report has been filed regarding any officer named Kate McArthur. The viral post contains several inaccurate and suspicious details that have raised immediate red flags for law enforcement and digital safety experts alike.
The fake post alleges that a “female officer” named Kate McArthur, aged 28, has gone missing in Green Bay and that her vehicle was allegedly found submerged in a canal. It falsely claims that a Silver Alert has been issued — a protocol typically reserved for older adults with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or cognitive impairment, not young and healthy adults. Furthermore, the post omits any traceable or verifiable contact information, which is standard in authentic missing person alerts.
The Green Bay Police Department is urging citizens not to share or engage with the post, and to report it if they encounter it on their feeds. The post is not affiliated with any official law enforcement source, and its content is designed to trigger emotional responses and high levels of engagement — a tactic commonly used by scammers to gain traction and later alter the post into a different type of scam, such as phishing links, fake rental listings, or deceptive advertisements.
“This is not the first time we’ve seen these types of misleading missing person posts circulating online,” said a spokesperson for the Green Bay Police Department. “Scammers exploit our collective instinct to help, only to manipulate that trust for dishonest purposes. These scams can become gateways for identity theft, malware, or financial fraud.”
In recent years, social media scams involving fabricated missing persons — especially children or authority figures — have become a troubling trend. These posts often rely on vague narratives, manipulated photos, and emotionally charged language to quickly generate shares before being updated with spam content or malicious links once the post has reached a large audience.
Citizens are advised to always verify information directly through official sources, such as the Green Bay Police Department’s verified Facebook page or website, before taking action or sharing posts related to missing persons. If you suspect a post to be fraudulent, report it directly to the platform and avoid engaging with it.
Key Warning Signs of a Social Media Missing Person Scam:
- Post appears in unrelated groups like “Buy and Sell” pages
- No official logos, sources, or contact numbers listed
- Vague language like “please help” or “share widely”
- References to inaccurate alerts (e.g., misuse of Silver Alert criteria)
- No supporting information on local news outlets or police pages
The Green Bay Police Department remains committed to public safety, both offline and online. Residents are encouraged to follow the department’s official Facebook page and website for real-time updates and verified information.
For further details or to report suspicious activity, please contact: Green Bay Police Department Non-Emergency Line: (920) 448-3200
Website: www.greenbaywi.gov/Police
Facebook: Green Bay Police Department
Stay informed. Stay alert. Don’t be misled.
