Calgary mall kidnapping claims are unfounded
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on December 21, 2023 at 22:13
- 3 min read
- By Gwen ROLEY, AFP Canada
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"I was naive to think this wasn't happening here but it is! Everyone keep your babies safe. This is terrifying," says the caption of a November 28, 2023 Facebook reel with more than 10,000 views.
In the clip, a woman reads the story of a grandmother who supposedly lost track of her granddaughter at CrossIron Mills Mall in Rocky View, Alberta, outside Calgary. She claims the grandmother found the child in a bathroom stall with a stranger shaving the girl's head while attempting to kidnap her.
Similar tales about different malls in southern Alberta spread across Facebook in November and December.
Screenshots in some copy-pasted posts indicate the claims also spread via text messages and Instagram stories.
Many posts claim police are investigating the incidents -- but both the Alberta Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Calgary Police Service told AFP there are no open cases of this type at local malls.
"At this time there (are) no identifiable victims of any successful or attempted kidnappings at the mall," said Troy Savinkoff, a spokesman for the Alberta RCMP on December 20.
Calgary's police department said they have no record of abduction reports, either.
"Our Child Abuse Unit is aware of allegations surfacing on social media regarding the possible abduction of minors in malls in and around Calgary, but we have not received any reports at this time," the Calgary Police Service said in a December 20 email.
The department encouraged citizens to report criminal activity by calling 911, but it warned against reckless sharing on social media.
"In some cases, unconfirmed information is distributed which can lead to the spread of misinformation and cause unnecessary alarm," the Calgary Police Service said.
AFP has previously debunked kidnapping claims tied to shopping centers and crowded areas in Canada.
The shaved-head story shared online is the latest iteration of a rumor Snopes debunked in 2010, when it spread in chain emails.
Canadian anti-human trafficking groups have previously told AFP these types of abductions occur most frequently among people who know each other.
More of AFP's reporting on misinformation in Canada is available here.
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