The fake news and Facebook posts first emerged on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Highlights
- Claims of Officer Luxie Kouza’s disappearance were fabricated by malicious websites and Facebook pages to mislead the public and generate traffic.
- Officer Kouza is a real officer with the Birmingham Police Department who joined the force in early 2024.
- The fake news targeted specific communities and urged residents to disable ad-blockers, exposing them to potential security risks like malware or phishing.
Recent reports circulating on social media platforms, particularly Facebook, have claimed that Birmingham Police Officer Luxie Kouza has gone missing.
These reports, however, have been identified as false, originating from dubious Facebook pages and websites aiming to mislead the public and generate web traffic.​
Luxie Kouza Is A Real Person And Officer With The Birmingham PD
Luxie Kouza is a real person serving as an officer with the Birmingham Police Department in Michigan.
She graduated from the Macomb Police Academy and joined the Birmingham force in early 2024.
In December 2024, Kouza was honored with the inaugural Robert Figurski Award, recognizing her dedication and commitment to law enforcement.
She said in an interview with the Police Officers Labor Council,
At a very young age, I always looked up to law enforcement. The first law enforcement contact I had was at a (career day) when the officer who came approached me and gave me a sticker. Ever since then I always have looked at law enforcement as role models. He inspired me to become one. Right after I graduated from Sterling Heights High School, I immediately started my career path.
polc.org
Additionally, she has been actively involved in community programs, such as the Vulnerable or Impaired Person (VIP) Enrollment Program, which assists vulnerable residents in returning home safely. ​
Luxie’s “Missing” Reports Originated From A Malicious Website
On March 20, 2025, a website named “honoringpastlives” published an article alleging that Officer Kouza had disappeared in Orleans East, Connecticut.
The article detailed her supposed disappearance, including the discovery of her vehicle with her young daughter inside.
However, this information is entirely fabricated.
The Birmingham Police Department has not reported any such incident, and no credible evidence supports these claims.​
Further confirming suspicions, none of these Facebook posts mention any contact information or call-to-action, and there have been no news coverage of the incident.
The false report appears to be part of a broader scheme by malicious Facebook pages and websites to attract clicks and drive traffic to their platforms.
These entities often create sensational stories to lure readers, subsequently exposing them to potential security risks, such as malware or phishing attempts.
Notably, the website insists that users disable ad-blockers, a common tactic used by malicious sites to generate ad revenue or facilitate cyberattacks.​
The Facebook Misinformation Was Geographically Targeted
An analysis of the Facebook pages disseminating this fake news reveals a pattern of targeting various local communities, including Fort Campbell, Olekasasi, and Sarasota.
Each post is tailored to the specific locale, urging residents to be on the lookout for the missing officer.
This strategy aims to exploit community trust and increase the virality of the misinformation.​
Members of the community have begun to recognize and call out these false reports.
For instance, an Instagram user commented on a post featuring Officer Kouza, writing,
There is fake news running around Anchorage, Alaska using her picture as a missing woman on a silver alert.
Instagram
Additional Information
To safeguard against such deceptive practices, consider the following best practices:
- Verify the Source: Always check the credibility of the website or social media page sharing the news. Established news outlets and official channels are more reliable sources of information.​
- Cross-Reference Information: Look for the same news across multiple reputable platforms. If only one obscure site reports a sensational story, it’s likely false.​
- Be Cautious with Links: Avoid clicking on suspicious links, especially those that prompt you to disable security features like ad-blockers.​
- Report Misinformation: Use the reporting tools on social media platforms to flag false information, helping to prevent its spread.​
