Buckeye police recently warned residents about fake news as potential scams, citing a rumor about an allegedly missing police officer that was being shared in Buckeye Facebook groups.
“We’ve received a few questions about this post that’s been circulating. This is a scam. Be suspicious of any post like this that lacks specific details like time, location, or police contact info, and always think twice before clicking suspicious links or providing banking info,” Buckeye police said in an X post, formerly known as Twitter.
The original post outlines the disappearance of a Buckeye female officer named Katie Cunningham. The post also stated that a Silver Alert had been issued.
A Silver Alert is a public notification that broadcasts information about missing senior citizens. The picture features an young White woman with blue eyes and encourages individuals to share it, showcasing the “5'9” 163 lb” woman.
Enough impulsively shared it or inquired about it for it to become viral. A phenomenon Gabby Petito's father Joe Petito calls "missing White woman syndrome."
Cunningham, however, is fine and currently a sergeant at the Great Falls Police Department, according to their social media site.
"We just spoke to her, and she is alive and well at Great Falls High, working as the SRO supervisor," the department wrote on Facebook. “When Cunningham sent her husband the screenshot, he asked if there is a reward.”
The department also informed the public that the picture was over 10 years old.
Progressive Fire Insurance
Another post on Instagram alleged that Progressive was canceling fire insurance policies in the greater Phoenix area, with a particular focus on Buckeye.
The posts cite 7-year-old reports that Bill Gates planned to build a smart city in or around Buckeye and implies that the insurance cancelations surrounding homes would aid in his attempt to acquire land, in an intentional burnout. The claim is a similar conspiracy theory that has been spread about the Maui fires with Oprah and the California fires.
InBuckeye reached out to Progressive, but they were unresponsive.
One IG respondent said their insurance agent canceled their fire insurance because of the risk in Buckeye. He did not respond to a request for an interview. Another implored Buckeye residents to paint their roofs blue.
The blue roof conspiracy theory follows a claim that only blue items survived the Maui wildfires because direct energy space lasers do not affect that color. The conspiracy suggests the island was hit by a directed energy weapon “attack.”
