Hunting for person spreading child kidnapping rumors on Facebook

Police are hunting for a group of people using Facebook accounts to post false information about child kidnappings in Hanoi.

The Hanoi City Police Department of High-Tech Crime Prevention is coordinating with professional units to verify a group of people who spread rumors of child kidnapping on Facebook, causing a stir in public opinion in recent days.

Search for the person who spread the child kidnapping news on Facebook with pictures

High-tech police use specialized equipment to investigate crimes. Photo: Tung Lam.

Police said that in mid-March, a Facebook account named M. posted information about a child kidnapping that occurred in the Cho Troi area (Hai Ba Trung district). “I was so scared, I’m still shaking. Today, my father was holding my child’s hand to go to the market, when two young men on a motorbike sped up and approached him. The person sitting behind him tried to take my child away,” the account owner M. began the story.

According to the description, the attempted kidnapping happened at 5 p.m. on March 10. “Luckily, my father reacted in time and grabbed the girl and hugged her. People nearby saw what happened and screamed, and the two people ran away,” the account owner recounted.

The information quickly received thousands of shares and comments. Many people were bewildered to see criminals brutally abducting children right in the city center.

A few days later, social media continued to spread information about the attempted child kidnapping that occurred in Dong Da district. According to the Facebook account owner named A, when this mother was driving her nephew on Quoc Tu Giam street, a group of strangers approached her and tried to take the boy.

Expressing his fear, this Facebooker warned: “From now on, I probably won’t dare take my child anywhere alone. Mothers, wherever you go, remember to put a motorbike belt on your child. If you don’t need to go out, stay home for your health.”

During the investigation, Hanoi Police determined that the above information was not true and are mobilizing professional forces to track down the source of the false information causing public confusion.

Not long ago, rumors also appeared on Facebook about a child kidnapping that occurred in Thanh Xuan and Ha Dong. Police determined that the person who spread the false information on social media used a fake name and deleted his account after posting.

Tung Lam