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Troy police say they have not received any reports related to a circulating social media post describing an attempted abduction at Walmart.

The post describes an email allegedly received by the poster from a relative who works at Walmart. According to the post, the email states that “a man grabbed a girl” approximately the age of 17 and “tried to pull her into his vehicle,” but that she “broke free and he fled the scene.”

It also stated that Troy police and Pike County Sheriff’s deputies had increased patrols in response to the incident.

But Troy Police Chief Randall Barr said the department has not received a report and has no evidence or information regarding the alleged incident.

“We don’t have any reported instance of an abduction or attempted abduction or anything like that,” Barr said. “We researched our CAD (computer-aided dispatch) and there were no reports of anything along those lines.”

Although there has been no specific incident to raise concerns, Barr said it is always smart to be aware and cautious of one’s surroundings.

“We urge everyone to be aware of their surroundings,” Barr said. “That’s something we should all do every day. Don’t let yourself be a victim; keep your head up, be aware, and have a plan.”

Sheriff Russell Thomas said they also had no involvement in an incident of attempted abduction but that all reports of attempted kidnapping or trafficking are taken seriously.

“Any tips we get or any information we get, we follow up on it and work on it,” Thomas said. “ In this case, there doesn’t appear to be anything to it. We stand ready and willing to help the city whenever they need us. We’re only a phone call away. When you hear rumors like this, it puts everybody on alert and makes everybody more aware.”

Barr said if a situation seems suspicious or if something doesn’t feel right, be aware and don’t be afraid to call the police if the situation feels dangerous.