Fake child sale ads appear in teens’ social feeds

Fake advertisements implying the sale of children for abuse have spread from the online marketplace Vinted to platforms like TikTok, where young users are encountering them, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

A 13-year-old boy recently showed his mother, Molly Franch Fletcher, an ad he found on TikTok. The post paired an image of a stuffed toy with text describing a child’s age, eye color, and sexualized details. “My world briefly shattered,” Fletcher said. She was shaken not only by the content but by how casually her son and his friends had accepted seeing it.

Mia Lind Winther, head of Save the Children Denmark’s SletDet advisory service, called the posts “boundary-crossing and very serious,” noting their explicit language and sexual references. While the National Special Crime Unit and Vinted have investigated and found no evidence of actual child trafficking, Vinted stated it takes the issue seriously and urges users to report suspicious listings.

Save the Children advises parents to maintain open dialogue with their children about online activity, create a safe space for them to share disturbing experiences, and take action by reporting harmful content to platforms and police. Even false ads can cause real harm, Winther said, comparing the distress to witnessing a traffic accident.

Parents and children seeking support can contact Save the Children’s SletDet hotline at +45 29 27 01 01 or use its chat service. Reports of abusive content can be filed with police or directly on the relevant platforms.