Someone using a name similar to the City of Bartlesville Gov’s Facebook account is using the popular social media site to threaten local citizens, City Manager Mike Bailey said this week.
City officials first became aware of the “Cityof BartlesvilleGOV” (note lack of spacing between words) account when it made an appearance on the City’s Facebook page — City of Bartlesville GOV — last weekend. The account holder appeared to represent the City of Bartlesville in threatening to discontinue utility services for other posters. Officials were also informed of at least one Washington County resident who received a private message from the account holder threatening action over an alleged nuisance complaint.
“We consider this a serious matter and are actively working to determine who is behind it,” Bailey said. “A criminal investigation is currently underway and we will pursue all legal options to ensure that the public is protected from these sorts of threats.”
Bailey said residents should be wary of any suspicious correspondence they receive from anyone claiming to be the City of Bartlesville.
“When in doubt, the best thing to do is contact us by phone or email to confirm or verify the information,” he said.
Numbers for all City departments can be found on the City’s website, at https://www.cityofbartlesville.org/city-government/department-contacts/.
Anyone with information about this matter is urged to contact the Bartlesville Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 918.338.4015.