News
There is Not a Serial Killer on the loose in Vicksburg; It’s a Share Farm Scam

VICKSBURG, Miss. – A “share farm” scam post claiming that a serial killer is on the loose in Vicksburg, Mississippi, is one of the many unfounded posts making the rounds on social media. Lost pets and missing people are other favorite topics for these types of posts. They’re designed to tug on the heart strings, or as in the case of this one, to instill fear.
“There have been a lot of this lately on social media,” said Vicksburg Police Chief Penny Jones. “I have had conversations with a few citizens who were concerned.”
The apparent motive behind such posts is to “farm shares.” Once enough people share the post, the creator then changes the content to either a scam link or scam advertisements. A tell-tale sign of these bogus posts is the creator disables comments.
Other share farm scams say they are moving, or a grandparent passed away, and they are selling items at unrealistically low prices. Some show a house that can be yours for an incredibly low monthly payment.
In the post, the photo of the man claims to be a 61-year-old Jeffrey Thomas, but a reverse image search shows the picture originates from a 2018 article of the arrest of John Arthur Getreu related to a 1974 cold case in California.
Below is the current text of the scam post:
“Everyone staying around #vicksburg
We all are being strongly encouraged to stay alert & vigilant during these times as we have serial killer on the loose in our neighborhood. The man identified to be Jeffrey Thomas (61) is moving around the area knocking on peoples’ doors seeking help, claiming to be starving and homeless. After being helped, he then attacks you after gaining your trust. This guy is heartless and very dangerous Last night, he stabbed a 41 year old single mom with a knife at her place in front of her kids and left for dead
He also stole a van from an 75 year-old lady under the guise of helping her offload groceries from her car. Do not approach hin, he is armed just call the police and be careful. Warn others by sharing bumping post”