Importance Score: 65 / 100 🔴
Scammers Exploit Slain NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller in Online Scheme
The tragic death of NYPD police officer Jonathan Diller has been exploited in a widespread online scam, targeting individuals across seven states over the past six months. Fraudsters are falsely claiming Officer Diller is missing in a manipulative scheme designed to defraud unsuspecting people of their money.
Fake ‘Missing Person’ Posters Surface Online
Deceptive missing person posters featuring Diller, 31, have emerged online less than a year after he was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Queens in March 2024. These fraudulent notices are being disseminated across Facebook groups in various locations, from Easley, South Carolina, to Maine and Indiana.
One typical poster reads, “HELP FIND HIM – Police Officer Jonathan Diller went missing yesterday morning here in #Easley.”
The deceptive flyer further alleges, “His truck was discovered last night with his son inside, but sadly, there is still no trace of him.” It includes Officer Diller’s physical description — 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds — and falsely states that a “silver alert” for missing persons has been issued.
The scam message emphasizes urgency, claiming Diller “is considered to possibly be in EXTREME danger and in need of medical assistance. We are soliciting the community’s assistance. SHARING ONLY TAKES 2 SECONDS.”
Officer Diller is among several law enforcement officers whose images are being misused in this fraudulent scheme. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the tactic involves emotionally charged posts about real or fabricated individuals, or injured animals, intended to capture attention and elicit sympathy, prompting people to share and engage.
Scam Evolves from Missing Person Plea to Deceptive Advertising
Once a post gains sufficient traction and is widely shared, scammers alter the original content, transforming it “into a deceptive rental advertisement, a sales pitch, or a link to a survey promising a cash prize,” as detailed in a November warning issued by the BBB regarding these types of schemes.
Police Denounce Misinformation
The Easley Police Department publicly refuted the Diller flyer in a Facebook post, clarifying it as a scam. However, despite this debunking, similar fraudulent flyers regarding Diller’s supposed “disappearance” had already spread virally in two Maine communities and Indianapolis.
Wider Reach of the Scam
This scam tactic has recently impacted other regions, including the Hudson Valley in New York, DeSoto County, Florida, and Altavista, Virginia. One iteration mirrored the Diller hoax narrative but reportedly employed the fabricated persona of a 27-year-old female police officer named “Jennifer Bailey.”
The image used for “Bailey” is, in fact, a photograph of Molly Plante, a real police officer from Massachusetts who served as the first full-time female officer for the Berlin Police Department. This image was featured in an October 30, 2021, Telegram & Gazette article.
Police Union Condemns Exploitative Scammers
NYPD Detectives Endowment Association President Scott Munro expressed outrage and called for severe consequences for the perpetrators of these scams.
“Murders and felonious assaults against police officers are escalating across the nation,” Munro stated. “Callous criminals are indifferent to this reality. They are exploiting the anguish of every police officer and law enforcement family for financial gain. These scammers must be apprehended and incarcerated to the fullest extent of the law.”