Police alert over ‘fake’ Facebook posts circulating in North Wales

Police have issued an alert over fake Facebook posts circulating in community groups in North Wales. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌​​​

The false posts warn of a man going door to door asking for money after claiming to have been locked out of his house. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌​​​

The hoaxers said the man, a picture of whom is supposedly attached, had been attacking people who don’t give him money. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌​​​

The posts have so far been shared in community groups in Wrexham and Caernarfon. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌​​​

However, there are a few tell-tale signs that the information is not all it seems as it instructs people to call 911 – the US emergency code – if they see him. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌​​​

It’s unclear who is behind the posts and why they are sharing them, but North Wales Police have moved to allay any concerns. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌​​​

They said: “We are aware of concerns regarding warnings circulating on social media regarding the Caernarfon area. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌​​​

“As you will see from the below pictures, the fake posts are being spread in different areas of the force and are without foundation. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌​​​

“Please be careful what you share on social media if you don’t know the source of the information. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌​​​

“Whilst these platforms can be great communication tools, this is dependant upon the accuracy of what is shared!” ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌​​​

In relation to the posts in Wrexham community groups, Inspector Luke Hughes said: “I have been made aware of nonsense circulating on social media… or Fake News as a certain ex-president would say. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌​​​

“Please take whatever you read on social media with a large dose of scepticism. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌​​​

“It is littered with many people some real and some not, who will tell you all manner of rubbish for a variety of objectives, none of which will ultimately benefit you in any way. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌​​​

“Block the user, remove them from your forum and generally ignore their nonsense.” ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌​​​