Lakewood officials warn of scam exploiting death of local firefighter
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KRDO) – Officials in Lakewood are warning community members of an online scam exploiting the recent death of a local firefighter.
According to West Metro Fire Rescue (WMFR), scammers have begun circulating messages and posts on Facebook using a photo of West Metro Engineer Kyle Bartlett and fake articles about his recent passing to trick people into clicking a malicious link. The posts are designed to look like legitimate news stories or memorial tributes and often claim to offer additional details or photos if users click.
The department announced Bartlett’s off-duty death on Monday. He served as an engineer with WMFR for more than 26 years.
"Scammers frequently exploit real-world tragedies to create urgency and emotional reactions. It’s disappointing to see someone misuse Kyle’s memory to deceive others," the department said in a post to social media.
According to WMFR, if you click the link in these posts, scammers could steal your login information, compromise your account, and spread the scam to your friends and family.
The department is now urging anyone who sees the posts not to click on any links or attachments, and to avoid replying or forwarding the messages. Instead, report suspicious messages and posts on Facebook as phishing or a scam.
WMFR advises anyone who has already clicked the link to change their Facebook password immediately.
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