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The baseless Wayfair conspiracy theory continues to be the highest-viewed item on Snopes, and we’re still getting a flood of questions and tips from readers.
In case you missed it, a thread: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/wayfair-trafficking-children/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ctthread
In case you missed it, a thread: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/wayfair-trafficking-children/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ctthread
First, you can learn more about real human trafficking, and not a conspiracy theory, here: https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/infographic
The claim is largely based on the idea that $10,000 is simply too expensive for a cabinet and there has to be some other explanation — child trafficking — to justify its cost. In a statement, Wayfair told Newseek: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/wayfair-trafficking-children/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ctthread
Some claimed that searching for the SKU associated with these items on a Russian search engine with “src usa” returned images of young female children. True, but searching for any random numbers with that term returns similar results. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/wayfair-trafficking-children/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ctthread
Others claim the products carry the first names of missing kids, many of whom @mediawise notes are no longer missing. Roughly 800K children are reported missing every year — any furniture that shares a name is likely a coincidence. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/wayfair-trafficking-children/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ctthread https://twitter.com/mediawise/status/1282793812348358657
Conspiracy proponents point to the arrest of a man in a Wayfair shirt in a prostitution sting. While the arrest happened, accounts leave out many key conflicting details: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/wayfair-trafficking-children/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ctthread
Other “evidence” that have been mailed to us:
The CEO resigned! (He did not.)
Why did Wayfair pull the products? (To clarify descriptions.)
How could Snopes debunk this so fast? (Readers asked about it, it's our job, and we try to move fast!) https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/wayfair-trafficking-children/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ctthread
The CEO resigned! (He did not.) Why did Wayfair pull the products? (To clarify descriptions.) How could Snopes debunk this so fast? (Readers asked about it, it's our job, and we try to move fast!) https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/wayfair-trafficking-children/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ctthread
While reading, some questions: Why would a large business use their official website to allow people to purchase children, where anyone could order by accident? Why would they use a method so easy to track?
We conclude that this conspiracy is false. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/wayfair-trafficking-children/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ctthread
We conclude that this conspiracy is
false. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/wayfair-trafficking-children/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ctthread
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Or join our #StartFundingFacts project: https://www.snopes.com/2020/07/01/stop-hate-for-profit-start-funding-facts/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ctthread
Or join our #StartFundingFacts project: https://www.snopes.com/2020/07/01/stop-hate-for-profit-start-funding-facts/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ctthread
