Police departments have confirmed that the incident never took place. West Mercia Police said there is no officer by that name and no record of such a case, while Norfolk Constabulary also pointed out that they do not even use the title “deputy,” making the story clearly fabricated.
This kind of hoax follows a common pattern online. Scammers create emotional posts about children, elderly people, or animals to attract attention and shares, then later edit the post to include misleading ads, scam links, or other harmful promotions once it has gone viral.
The main lesson is to pause before sharing posts that create urgency or strong emotion. Checking official police pages, trusted news sources, comment settings, and even the edit history of a post can help stop misinformation from spreading and protect others from scams.
