Warning posts about ‘serial killers’ may not be real: Windsor police

In this stock photo, a person is seen typing on a computer keyboard. (Pexels)

Windsor police are reminding the public to verify information found online after an increase in posts warning about ‘serial killers’ and other criminals.

Const. Bianca Jackson with the Windsor Police Service told CTV News there’s been an “uptick” in the spread of social media posts, which include a mugshot and incorrectly state the person has committed “vicious crimes” in Windsor.

“The information that is being shared is something that has been made up and it’s going actually quite viral on social media,” Jackson said.

As the posts continue to circulate, Jackson noted they could create added concern in the community. In most cases, the mug shots used are pulled from other jurisdictions.

“A majority of the mug shots that are being shared are not from our community. They’re from other communities, and then, of course, when people can, copy paste those and create their own narrative and share that, as their own truths, that’s when we run into problems,” Jackson said.

While Jackson noted she cannot confirm the poster’s motive, the content often generates significant reaction from the community.

“However, it’s a belief that it may just be to cause disturbance in the community, to cause people to be afraid and continue to share this misinformation. Again, I can’t speak to somebody else’s motive, but that could be [the reason],” Jackson said.

Windsor police urge the public to not trust posts unless they are shared from a verified source, such as Windsor police or the OPP.