Why do kidnappers drive white vans

Murray told CNN Business she had seen the men in the store before she knew they were in a white van. She said she didn't report the incident to police "because I didn't have much information to report but I did want to make the [Instagram] post to let people know what is going on.

Murray said she had seen reports on social media of suspicious white vans but she thought people were exaggerating -- mysterious white vans are a "big thing in movies," she thought, and believed that might have added to the exaggeration.

However, after her experience, she now believes the men and the van are "part of a bigger story, I don't think they are two random guys. Baltimore Police has received no reports of actual incidents. Murray's post racked up more than 3, likes on Instagram. A few days later, on November 17, another woman in Baltimore posted screenshots of Murray's Instagram post to Facebook. That Facebook post had been shared more than 2, times by this Tuesday.

The post claimed that sex traffickers had "these vans rigged where they lock from the outside, and, once inside, you can't get out. But the posts were not only going viral in Baltimore. A Facebook post from a man in South Carolina on November 15 showed a photo of a white van with two external locks.

The photo appeared to have been taken from Snapchat. The post was shared an extraordinary , times. According to the report, the girl was groped before eventually escaping the vehicle. At the same time, multiple police departments have sought to debunk baseless horror stories about suspicious white vans. They've clarified that there have been no reports of kidnappings in their areas. In Albany, Georgia, for example, the local police took to Facebook on November 19 to address concerns about a report that a child had been snatched by a white van.

They said the witness admitted to making a false claim and not a single child had even been reported missing. No child has been reported missing. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options.

Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Ashley Collman. In recent weeks, multiple posts about suspicious white vans have been going viral on Facebook and Instagram. Baltimore Mayor Jack Young gave these posts credence on Monday when he said he had been hearing reports of someone in a white van "trying to snatch up young girls".

He later admitted that he didn't get this warning from the local police, but from Facebook. Facebook said Wednesday that they are doing their best to curb unfounded posts about white vans. Multiple people who drive white vans say they have been harassed because of the posts, and one driver was even killed after two men confronted him over a false allegation that he tried to kidnap their mother. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Neglect Laws Model legislation Shamed or Investigated?

Blog Books Research Donate. About The Author. Lenore Skenazy. Childhood Independence in Your Inbox! Get our weekly newsletter with the latest articles, videos, and printables from Let Grow. Recent Articles. Get Involved The movement to promote childhood independence needs you. Join us to access free resources while helping us spread awareness. Join Let Grow. Confidential Request for Assistance. Somebody sent me a video saying that white vans like this are being used to kidnap women and children for human….

Posted by Jeff Cooke on Thursday, November 21, Due to the nature of the internet, the rumors have spread far and wide and CNN noted the case of Marcel Jackson from Detroit. Needless to say fears over white vans are unfounded. In virtually every case, the vehicle probably belongs to a contractor, a delivery person or someone who just likes their practicality.