Child Trafficking

Are people in various communities in the United States and England being warned about an 18-year-old known as Russell Robinson or Dycorrian Wayne Lofton knocking on doors and attacking people after he gains their trust? No, that's not true: Facebook posts calling on readers to be vigilant and lock their doors used mugshots of unrelated people. The posts are part…

Is a "Homicide Bureau" searching for "Tyler Chapman" and "Shaila Bradshaw" over "the death of eight-month-old Marquel Smith"? No, that's not true: Facebook posts calling on readers to be on the lookout for them in various locations used mugshots of unrelated people. The posts are part of a common social media scam that tricks people into liking or sharing a…

Is there a legitimate warning circulating about a man named "Talavera, Benjamin" on the run and charged with stabbing to death someone's two Caseyville, IL neighbors, two Pensacola, FL neighbors, two Portage, IN neighbors? No, that's not true: Despite what viral social media posts say, the person in the photos is not named Talavera or Benjamin and is not wanted…

Did posts on social media show an authentic warning from "the Homicide Bureau" searching for suspects named "Megan Brown" and "Jose Alex Ramirez", wanted in connection with the death of a baby named "Yolanda Clinton"? No, that's not true: The identically worded entries were shared in local groups on Facebook across different, unrelated jurisdictions, but no credible media organization reported…

Is there a legitimate warning circulating about a girl named "Amy Sharp" allegedly on the run and charged with the murder of a baby named "Courtney Chatfield"? No, that's not true: Despite what viral social media posts say, the girl is not on the run in various locations and she was not charged with murder. The posts are part of…

Is a viral Facebook post legitimately warning people about an "18 year old boy known as MONICO ORONA" who supposedly stabbed "Ryan Tyler" and "Chloe Tyler" to death? No, that's not true: There are dozens of such posts going around, all mentioning different locations, and the mugshot used in the posts actually shows a man with a different name who…

Is a warning about a woman "going around neighborhoods" and "stealing packages" legitimate and does sharing a viral message on Facebook help expose and hold her accountable? No, that's not true: The recent viral warnings use images that appear to be several years old. The posts are part of a common social media scam that tricks people into liking or…

Is there a legitimate warning circulating about a girl named "Totten Skylar Rose" allegedly on the run and charged with the murder of a baby named "Courtney Chatfield"? No, that's not true: Despite what viral social media posts say, the girl is not on the run in various locations and she was not charged with murder. The posts are part…

Is a picture of a goat statue covered in fake money with President Donald Trump's face on it being displayed at Mar-a-Lago real? Yes it appears so: Video of the statue appeared on the Instagram account of Project G.O.A.T., which calls itself an "art-based awareness and support campaign in the fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children." Details…

Are several social media posts truly expressing concern over an actual missing teen named "Natallia Goodman"? No, that's not true: "Natallia Goodman" was supposedly missing in multiple locations, indicating that this is a made-up story. The posts spreading the information are part of a common social media real estate scam. One instance of the claim appeared in a post (archived…