Mystery of Vinted child trafficking claims after adverts for £26,000 'toys' with height and weight description

Mystery of Vinted child trafficking claims after adverts for £26,000 'toys' with height and weight description French police have launched a probe after social media users claimed that children are being sold on Vinted after listings showed bizarre descriptions eluding to height, weight and age French police have launched an investigation into allegations of child trafficking on the secondhand fashion platform Vinted after concerned users flagged a series of bizarre listings they suspected contain 'sexually coded language'.' Screenshots of the 'disturbing' listings have gone viral on social media in recent days, showing sellers promoting toys for inflated sums alongside descriptions which appear to reference a child's age, height, weight and personality traits. One alleged listing shows a teddy bear listed for €30,000 (£25,900). Rather than describing the toy itself, the advert refers to a "nine-year-old girl", fuelling speculation online that it was intended to represent a child. Another screenshot shared widely on social media, especially TikTok, showed a stuffed rabbit priced at more than €1,000 (£861). The description reportedly read: "Female, three years old, 91cm, 13kg", before adding the words "obedient girl" - language social media users have called "deeply disturbing". Yesterday, French police confirmed to the Mirror that a preliminary investigation had been launched to establish exactly who created them and whether they represent an attempt to misuse the platform, an organised hoax or something more sinister. So far, they have not confirmed if any of the claims have turned out to be correct, and launching an investigation doesn't suggest any wrongdoing. Elsewhere, screenshots showed a PlayStation console and controller advertised for €30,000 (£25,900), with the description allegedly referring to the item as "10 years old", "healthy" and "blonde". Other listings circulating online were said to contain similar combinations of unusually high prices and descriptions that appeared to refer to the physical characteristics or personalities of children rather than the items being sold. The screenshots have spread like wildfire across TikTok, X and Facebook, prompting thousands of comments from users demanding authorities investigate whether the listings could be linked to organised criminal activity. France's High Commissioner for Childhood, Sarah El Hairy, said she has reported the existence of the posts and accounts to officials. Writing on X on June 23, she said: "An investigation has been opened following the complaint I filed with the courts regarding suspicions of child trafficking on Vinted. The truth must be established without taboo. Platforms have a responsibility: no space can be a hunting ground for predators." She also wrote: "Behind a platform of everyday life, a suspicion of a paedophile criminal network. Reminder that the threats against children are evolving, but the demand for protection remains the same. This is the meaning of the fight I have been waging since day one." The posts have also been referred to PHAROS, the French government's online platform for reporting illegal internet content. In a statement posted to Instagram, Frankfurt Police said they were receiving an increasing number of reports, but there were "strong indications that these are fake listings." Even so, authorities made it clear they are not dismissing the reports, adding: "We take these hints very seriously. We are also aware of the emotional reactions and fears that trigger such descriptions. "According to recent findings, there are currently many indications that these are fake ads. Still true: We leave no room for speculation in such sensitive areas. We check the clues to rule out any danger or crime." The viral posts seem to extend beyond France. A screenshot shared online shows an alleged UK listing of a bunny Jellycat, normally retailing for £25 brand new, on Vinted for £10,350. The description read: "2 years, 86cm, tight unused." Another showed a "grey teddy", reportedly listed at £18,500 with the description reading: "3 years, 98-103cm". 103cm is the equivalent to 3ft3in. The National Police Chiefs' Council and National Crime Agency told the Mirror they were not aware of the listings. Vinted has strongly denied that the listings were advertising children and says it has not found evidence of child trafficking taking place on its platform. It also suggests some of the listings have been 'faked'. In a statement, the company said it had "thoroughly investigated the listings being shared online and found no credible cases linking them to child trafficking activity". It added: "Where these listings are deliberately faked to fuel this conversation, we are swiftly removing them and taking action on accounts, including bans." The company also warned that some of the screenshots being shared online may have been created to spread panic, saying users may be posting fake listings in an attempt to expose suspected offenders. Vinted said it had also seen people posing as buyers before threatening to report sellers to police, as well as directing abuse at members selling legitimate high-value items. "We've seen an increase in abusive language directed at sellers of higher-priced items," the company said. "While we understand the concern behind this, this kind of behaviour amounts to harassment, makes it harder for us to moderate the platform effectively, and can interfere with genuine investigations, putting members at risk. We do not tolerate harassment of any kind, and we take action against members who violate our rules. "If a listing or a member's behaviour goes against our rules, we have a number of procedures in place. This may include banning accounts and carrying out further investigation, in coordination with the competent authorities where appropriate." The platform said it is cooperating fully with law enforcement and had carried out an extensive review of the listings circulating online. The allegations have inevitably drawn comparisons with the so-called "Wayfair conspiracy" that swept across social media in 2020. During the Covid pandemic, users claimed the US furniture retailer was secretly selling trafficked children because expensive storage cabinets shared first names with missing girls and some products carried unusually high price tags. The claims, which originated in online conspiracy communities linked to QAnon, spread rapidly across social media. Wayfair denied the unfounded allegations, explaining that product names were generated automatically and that the expensive cabinets were commercial-grade furniture. The company also said some unusually high prices on personalised products were caused by pricing errors.