Viral Facebook posts are circulating, claiming a small child was found wandering alone at night by a police officer in either Hereford or King’s Lynn. These posts, which include images of a bruised toddler and mention a supposed “Deputy Tyler Cooper,” have sparked concern across large community groups. They urge users to “flood the feed” to help reunite the boy with his family.
But officials have confirmed the entire story is false.
West Mercia Police stated that no such incident took place in Hereford and that no officer by the name of Tyler Cooper exists on their staff. Similarly, Norfolk Constabulary confirmed there was no such case in King’s Lynn and pointed out that the rank of “deputy” isn’t even used in their police structure.
These posts are part of a growing wave of online hoaxes—emotional clickbait that’s often edited later to push scams like fake cash giveaways, phishing links, or shady real estate promotions.
How to protect yourself:
- Always verify emotional stories through trusted news outlets or official sources.
- Be cautious of posts urging mass sharing.
- Look for signs of post-editing history, especially if the original content has changed.
Don’t let fake stories manipulate your emotions—or your feed.
