French authorities open preliminary probe into suspected child trafficking coded ads on second-hand platform Vinted

Social media firestorm over coded ads

Dozens of Vinted listings for stuffed animals, dolls and other children's items priced at thousands of euros began circulating on TikTok and Instagram in mid‑June. The ads included descriptions such as “9 years old, good condition, female, white” and “158 cm, 13 years” which users interpreted as a hidden language for selling minors. One viral video, liked more than 112,000 times, pointed to a Harry Potter figure listed at €30,000, with the creator suggesting the price and physical details pointed to a “coding system for a child trafficking operation.”

“If the facts are proven, it's chilling.”

Official investigation, but no evidence

The Nanterre public prosecutor opened a preliminary investigation on 25 June, tasking the Office for Minors (Ofmin) with verifying the reports. The French High Commissioner for Children, Sarah El Haïry, had already flagged suspected accounts two days earlier. However, no concrete evidence has emerged. German authorities said the same pattern of unconfirmed tips had appeared before. The Bundeskriminalamt noted that reports from several federal states had been accumulating since 23 June, while the Hesse police stated there were “no credible indications of actual offers related to child or human trafficking.”

“The described phenomenon is known to the Bundeskriminalamt. In the past, similar reports on online classified ads were not confirmed.”

Vinted's response

Vinted told press outlets that it had “thoroughly examined the advertisements currently shared online and found no credible cases linking them to child trafficking activities.” The company added that any listings deliberately created to stoke the debate would be promptly removed and the accounts banned. The Austrian fact-checking organisation Mimikama reached the same conclusion, deeming it unlikely that criminal networks would post such ads on a large second-hand platform. Vinted confirmed it is cooperating closely with the investigating authorities.

“We have thoroughly examined the advertisements currently shared online and have found no credible cases linking them to child trafficking activities.”

Old theories, no new proof

Previous waves of similar allegations, including suspicions about Vinted being used by human traffickers, turned out to be unfounded. The German Central Office for Combating Internet Crime said the scenario had not been encountered in its investigations, though it did not rule out the use of any online communication channel for illicit purposes. A report by the French site 20minutes claiming to have spoken with a man offering a girl for sale was later corrected: the supposed seller was a 17‑year‑old who had placed the ad to trap “nonces.” Portuguese media referenced a listing for a “rosa” at €20,000 with pickup in Portugal, but the ad did not lead to any confirmed trafficking.