‘Just be critical when you see some of these posts’: LPD, mental health experts warn of fake social media posts

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – For many, social media is also a way to get news and information from trusted sources. However, in some cases, such as a post that recently circulated claiming that a serial killer is on the loose in Lincoln, the information is simply not true.

It’s a complicated part of the digital age that has law enforcement and local behavioral health experts sending out reminders that just because someone shared it online doesn’t mean it’s true.

Lincoln police said the post in question was quickly debunked. It’s circulating in cities across the country using the same wording, but whoever is posting it is simply swapping city names to mislead the population watching it.

LPD said they found many others like it using an image search.

“Just be critical when you see some of these posts because, again, keep in mind that not everything you read on the internet is real. Do your own research and make sure it’s real and legitimate,” LPD Capt. Todd Kocian said.

Kocian said people should be careful with posts like this on social media by double-checking them with those image searches, looking for the wording on the post to see if it’s the original, and searching the media to verify.

“With a story like this, a good start would be to visit some of your local media sources to see if they’re also reporting the same story,” Kocian said. “Especially something about this matter. Based on the magnitude, the paragraph there, that’s a pretty significant story and a good indicator is that if you don’t see the same story in the sources, it may not be legitimate.”

Dr. Dave Miers is the Director of Behavioral Health at Bryan Health. He said that when it comes to posts like this, it’s easy for people to see them and accept them as fact because the group or person who posted them is a trusted source for them.

“You just assume it’s true and people start weighing it down and pretty soon that information starts to grow and it starts to blow out of proportion,” Dr. Meirs said. “You realize none of that is true and it really turns into misinformation and it really increases people’s anxiety and confidence.”

He also said that people with mental illnesses that are not addressed are more likely to believe these false posts or fall for the scams they also see online.

“61% of people who get scammed and find out the information is false, a lot of those people, 61% of those people, are dealing with a mental health issue,” said Dr. Meirs.

10/11 also asked Lincoln police on Wednesday if they know what crime the man in that viral post committed and where. They said they still can’t find the source of the photo or if the man’s photo has committed any crimes.

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