The message appear ominous.

“Everyone around is being warned to be alert and vigilant as there is a serial killer on the run. This man, 32-year-old David Lawson, goes around knocking on people’s doors, claiming to be homeless, seeking help and he attacks you after gaining your trust. He’s ruthless and very dangerous.”

It gets even more specific: “Last Friday, he attacked 37-year-old single mother Lisa Davis with a knife and left her struggling for her life. He also stole a vehicle from an 83-year-old lady under the guise of helping her offload groceries from her car. If you see him please call the police and be careful.”

“Please share and be vigilant,” it adds.

Scary stuff. There’s one thing to know, however. It’s all fake, according to the Huntsville Police Department.

The social media post has been making the rounds online and recently came to north Alabama, thanks to the #Huntsville tag added to a Facebook post.

The post – versions of which have popped up around the country – is a hoax and should be disregarded, police said. The person in the photo who’s referred to as David Lawson is actually someone named Joel Diekhoff who was incarcerated in Idaho in 2011. The posts have become common in local Facebook groups with disabled comments to prevent the spread of accurate information.

Similar hoaxes have been reported in other states, including Pennsylvania, Maine, South Carolina, Michigan and Virginia.

Why scammers posts “serial killer on the loose” info

Hoax-busting website Snopes pointed out that versions of the serial killer scam have been circulating for years as part of a bait-and-switch scam. Here’s how the scam works:

The posts are created in local community Facebook groups using old and unrelated mug shots and names of different suspects. The goal is to pick up likes, comments and shares and then, once a certain threshold is reached, the scammers edit the post to mention a completely different matter that might allow them to make money, Snopes said.

“The strategy by the scammers was that users would see the altered post and the preexisting likes, comments and shares – some from friends or friends of friends – and then trust whatever the content (scam) might be,” Snopes explained.

In one case, Snopes pointed out, the serial killer post was changed to an offer for free dental services.

Here’s what Huntsville Police recommend:

• If you see the original post, do not share or engage with it.
• Report the post to the platform to help stop the spread of misinformation.