“So, are there serial killers in the UK who push people into rivers, canals, lakes etc or drown them?” one TikTok user asked gleefully in a video that has attracted more than 300,000 views.

She uses mainstream media coverage of unconnected women found dead in water across the country, Google Maps, and research posted online to lend credence to unfounded theories on her account, which has more than 90,000 followers and Over 2 million likes.

Criminal psychologist Dr Amanda Vicary said people have always been interested in “solving mysteries” but now people have access to tools that were not available 30 years ago.

She told Sky News: “Ordinary people can search social media accounts and various online databases, browse interviews and transcripts available online, and view images and videos relating to various crimes – all from the comfort of their own home. .”

But as a mother of two children Nicola BuleyThe 45-year-old disappeared while walking her dog in St Michael’s, Wyre, and amateur detectives went offline as they visited the Lancashire village to investigate.

Following an intensive search and global media attention in the weeks leading up to the appointment of the mortgage adviser, body found In the river, detectives said they “drowning in false informationaccusations and rumors,” which “distracted” their attention.

Police issued a dispersal order to disperse a group of “amateur detectives” filming in the area, while YouTuber Dan Duffy arrested and issue a fixed penalty notice.

He earlier posted a video to his 206,000 YouTube subscribers saying he “went into people’s back gardens at night”, while TikTok user Curtis Arnold filmed police officers walking in the river The recovery of Ms. Bulley’s body.

The coroner concluded Ms Bulley died from an accidental fall into cold water, her family said In a statement: “We encourage people to focus on the facts, the evidence heard during the inquest and the conclusions reached by the coroner, ignore any amateur views and opinions and be aware of the impact of words.”

“TikTok Idiot”

But online speculation continues, and in a video a year after her disappearance, the serial killer theorist responded to criticism of “TikTok idiots” by saying: “Personally, before giving a full answer , any attention to the case is positive.

“I work with families of missing people all the time and I think you’ll find that most of them are struggling for any article, anything to be made public, and that’s all they dream about is for someone to take them seriously.

“In this case, all the attention is good until it doesn’t, and then we’re very mortified.”

lancashire The force has also faced heavy criticism over its handling of the investigation, with former Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding saying the case showed “the damage that can be done” when officers allow too much contact with the public.

He says police learned lessons as they search for missing mother of three Gaynor LordThe 55-year-old’s body was found in the River Wensome a week after she went missing in Norwich last December.

“It will happen again”

As wild, unsubstantiated theories and speculation spread online again, police cordoned off the scene to prevent social media investigators from intervening again, Harding said.

“But it will happen again because true crime is so popular,” he told Sky.

“Police must review their information and take control of crime scenes to stop the new phenomenon of armchair detectives thinking they can solve a murder when more than 30 detectives cannot.”

Metropolitan Police Detective Sergeant Ben Stephenson uses X to protect his colleagues from their amateur counterparts online during the hunt for a wanted criminal Clapham Chemical Raiders Abdul Ezeidi.

He wrote: “The hours of CCTV footage have been painstakingly reviewed and my colleagues involved deserve high praise.”

“There are some crazy conspiracy theories being peddled. It’s best to ignore them.”

Police accused of lying

A prominent TikToker with hundreds of thousands of followers made a skeptical video outside Scotland Yard after police said Ezedi entered the River Thames, in which he went on to accuse police of “lying” even though his body was Discovered and identified. Viewed 1.7 million times.

TikTok’s policy does not allow “the publication of inaccurate, misleading or false content that could cause significant harm to individuals or society, regardless of intent,” but does not cover inaccurate or fictitious information.

Harding said that unlike the search for Ms Bouley, police took control of the investigation into Ezedi, with CCTV covering both sides of Chelsea Bridge.

But he thought their message could be “more brutal” to make it clear they knew he jumped into the river and end speculation.

He said that while senior investigating officers were not “confused by people conducting their own investigations”, police did monitor social media and in high-profile cases hundreds of thousands of messages could add to the workload.

He said speculation would also cause “unnecessary fear” in local communities and the police should take the lead in stopping false rumors online.

Hours after 13-year-old Olly Stephens was stabbed to death in Reading on January 3, 2021, news that a girl was offering a £154.94 reward for his head was shared several times on social media Thousands of times.

“False news”

The accusation was dismissed by police as “fake news” and some of the 200 Thames Valley police officers working on the investigation had to contact bloggers and online commentators over concerns they could influence the case.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Howard said: “We do worry more about the wider risks and impacts and people taking matters into their own hands, which is obviously very unwise at best and at worst It’s illegal,” Ollie’s killer said after his conviction.

Seven men have been jailed over a case Merseyside Police blamed “misinformation, speculation and rumours on social media”. Violent protests outside In February last year, the Suites Hotel in Knowsley provided accommodation to asylum seekers.

A video was shared showing an asylum seeker from a hotel asking for a 15-year-old girl’s phone number and kissing her, before the crowd chanted “get them out” and threw rocks and fireworks at police, the court heard.

‘Real-world consequences’

In June last year, the same force said a 27-year-old man was attacked by teenagers after he posted false accusations on social media, accompanied by photos, that he tried to kidnap a child and photographed the youngster outside a shop. attack. .

Chief Constable Karl Baldwin said: “Police and partners have been warning for months about the real-world consequences of misinformation and speculation online, putting innocent people in harm’s way.”

“Sadly, this case is an example of that danger. Online speculation, misinformation and sharing can actually compromise the outcome of an investigation and lead to unnecessary fear and consequent behavior.”

Social media expert Matt Navarre said people have been using social media to spread theories or speculation for some time, especially in missing persons cases.

But anecdotally, he said, the numbers appear to be rising as platforms like TikTok, Reels and YouTube increasingly become the primary source of news for certain groups of people, especially young people.

“It’s about being part of the story rather than being a passive consumer of news,” he told Sky.

“Conspiracy theories and emotive topics… undoubtedly elicit the greatest emotional response and attract the most attention.”

“A hotbed of participation”

He explained that social media algorithms mean that if certain topics are particularly engaging, more content will be shown to users, and the popularity of a post will incentivize creators to produce more content.

“Conspiracy theories, missing persons and crime are a breeding ground for involvement because they tick all the boxes – mystery, story, real life, is there something else going on, what’s the conspiracy behind it?” It’s like a real life one. There’s a drama out there and they can be a part of it. “

While a viral video that gets millions of views is unlikely to earn a creator more than a few hundred pounds, some are looking to grow their audience and build their brand, which could make them more attractive to advertisers .

But this is “a human problem and an algorithmic problem,” Mr. Navarro said. “If people want it, people will create it.”

Dr Vicari said that while some were “obviously in it for the followers”, her research showed that people, especially women, had a “strong desire to understand how and why crimes are committed so that they can prevent the same thing happening to them on the body”.

“There is certainly a dark side to these online investigations, with innocent people being doxxed and lives ruined, but there are also a lot of people who are just naively theorizing about cases online,” she said.

“By solving the case, people can get answers – how did the victim get abducted? What red flags did they miss in a jealous partner or a stranger? If we knew how this happened to someone else, we could Can stop it from happening to other people.” Us. “