The claim
“Watch out, these people are stealing children and selling them for organs. Now they are in our city of Zagar. Watch your children and don't leave them outside alone. Share this post so that all parents can see and protect their children.”
Our conclusion
Our research has shown that the image shown in the post dates from 2015 and was originally associated with pickpocketing in Romania and not child abductions.
The supposedly current warning message
A recent alert about alleged child abductions and organ trafficking in the town of Zagar (town in Transylvania, Romania) has caused a stir on the Internet. The report is fake news and has nothing to do with the actual pickpocketing incidents from 2015!
This status post in Croatian has been making the rounds on Facebook since October 26th, 2023:
“Pazite, ovi ljudi kradu decu i prodaju ih za organe. Sada su u našem gradu Zagar. Brinite se o svojoj deci i ne ostavljajte ih samu napolju. “Podelite ovaj post kako bi svi roditelji mogli da vide i zaštite svoju decu.”
In German: “Watch out, these people steal children and sell them for organs. Now they are in our city of Zagar. Watch your children and don't leave them outside alone. Share this post so that all parents can see and protect their children.”
The truth behind the warning message
Our research shows that this image first appeared in Romania in 2015 in connection with pickpocketing. ( source ) and 2016 ( source ). Both articles are about pickpockets in Timișoara (Romania).
This misleading claim was already widespread in 2018.
At the time it was said: “Many children kidnapped and victims of illegal organ trafficking: crime syndicates active in urban and rural areas”. A fact check from the Republic of Moldova from the same year dealt with the issue of child abduction for organ trafficking in Romania and corrected this in a fact check. ( Source )
The response to the status post is overwhelming. Not only was the post shared almost a million times, but it also received over 8,500 comments. It is noteworthy that the post was distributed worldwide, even though the photo it contained first became known in 2015 and has since then been repeatedly mentioned in connection with pickpocketing. However, there is no evidence that the people depicted are involved in child abduction, child trafficking or organ harvesting.
Conclusion of this fake news:
The in-depth research shows that the frightening allegations of child abductions in Zagar are based on an unfounded and false association. The image at the center of the viral post was actually first circulated in 2015 in connection with pickpocketing in Romania. Before such horror reports are spread further, it is important to question them critically and check the credibility of the sources. The correct classification of such information is essential to avoid spreading fear and uncertainty among the public.
Such misinformation requires a high level of media literacy and critical thinking from the public. Subscribe to our Mimikama newsletter to always receive up-to-date and well-founded information. Also explore our extensive media education offering .
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )