That post you’ve seen about sex traffickers abducting kids from Walmart? Officials say it’s a hoax
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IDAHO FALLS – EastIdahoNews.com has recently heard from many of you about a social media post claiming that sex traffickers wearing trench coats from Mexico are abducting children at local Walmart stores.
The post claims that a friend’s husband brought his kids to Walmart and his daughter wandered to another aisle. It says the man “had a gut feeling that he needed to go get her,” and when he reached her, he saw a man in a trench coat picking up the young girl and leaving.
According to the post, the husband had a broken foot, so he yelled and went after the man in the trench coat before Walmart employees tackled him and police were called.
It claims officers found a group of men who have “come out here from Mexico to sex traffic kids in all of the surrounding areas” and lists local places such as Pocatello, Rexburg, and Rigby.
The post has been shared countless times on social media and many alarmed parents have contacted EastIdahoNews.com asking us to investigate.
We found that no police departments in eastern Idaho have received any reports of kidnappings or sex trafficking in Walmart or any other stores.
“If something like that were to happen, and there was a danger to the public, we’d be contacting (the media) to get information out to keep people safe,” says Idaho Falls Police Lt. Bob Lasher. “If something like that were happening, the public’s safety is of the utmost concern to us. We’d want to put something out immediately, and obviously, we’d be all hands on deck to get this stopped as soon as possible.”
Online scams like these are familiar with people trying to create chaos on social media to boost likes and attract followers.
In October, we reported on a similar social media scam phenomenon claiming that a young man without ID was hit by a car in Idaho Falls and left unconscious.
It also turned out to be fake.
This isn’t just a problem in eastern Idaho as we found this kind of scam occurring on social media nationwide.
Similar posts about supposed human trafficking at Walmart were shared in 2020 in places such as Charlotte, North Carolina, , and Midland, Texas.
These scams serve as a reminder to be cautious of what you share on social media. The World Health Organization recommends using the SHARE checklist before reposting anything on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok or other platforms:
Source: Rely on official sources for medical and safety information (like police, reputable news organizations, etc.).
Headline: Headlines don’t always tell the full story. Always read to the end before you share articles.
Analyze: Analyze the facts. If something sounds unbelievable, it very well might be.
Retouched: Watch out for misleading pictures and videos. They might be edited or show an unrelated place or event. Check to see who else is using the photo.
Error: Look out for mistakes. Typos and other errors might mean the information is false.