On Tuesday, July 4, 2023, a fake story in which the Hamilton Police entered into a joint investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the United States Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force was sent out to media outlets.

The story was then published and quickly gained attention locally and internationally.

Hamilton Police can confirm this investigation did not occur and the email did not originate from the Hamilton Police Service.

The Hamilton Police are investigating into the email source that created and sent out this information. 

Impersonating a police officer is a criminal offence. Hamilton Police recognize the public’s trust in the police is very important and incidents like this can cause the community to second guess police communication.

If you have any information that you believe could assist Police with the investigation into this crime you are asked to contact the Hamilton Police Technology Crime Unit by calling 905-546-4793.

To provide information anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit your anonymous tips online at http://www.crimestoppershamilton.com