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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 a criminal investigation is currently underway. He said they will pursue all legal options to ensure that the public is protected from these sorts of threats.

On behalf of the City of Bartlesville, Bailey apologized to anyone who has been a victim of this situation. He said they feel terrible about the individuals that have been threatened in the City of Bartlesville's name. The City is going to do everything in its power to make sure the suspect(s) are identified and stopped.

City officials first became aware of the “CityofBartlesvilleGOV” (note the lack of spaces) account when it made an appearance on the City’s Facebook page — City of Bartlesville GOV — last week. 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.

While these are the only two incidents that the City of Bartlesville knows about cuurently, they are afraid there are others. Bailey said people have either believed it is the City of Bartlesville, or they have realized that it is not the City and they have moved on. He said it is not okay for someone to threaten Bartians while pretending to be the City of Bartlesville.

The motives behind the situation are puzzling. Bailey said he hesitates to come up with motives for people, but he thinks someone is trying to create problems, or someone has an ax to grind with the City of Bartlesville. Either way, Bailey said a crime was committed and the City of Bartlesville is going to make sure those involved are punished for their actions.

Bailey said residents should be wary of any suspicious correspondence they receive from anyone claiming to be the City of Bartlesville. He said the best thing to do is contact the City of Bartlesville by phone or email to confirm or verify the information.

Numbers for all City departments can be found on the City’s website, at cityofbartlesville.org. Anyone with information about this matter is urged to contact the Bartlesville Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 918.338.4015. You can also call the BPD's non-emergency line at 918.338.4001 if you have information or feel as if you were a victim in this situation.