Scripted Video of Child Kidnapping Shared as Real Incident

Several such scripted videos showing child kidnappings have gone viral recently.

Fact-Check | A scripted video showing a child kidnapping has gone viral as a real incident. 

(Photo: The Quint)

A video showing an attempted kidnapping and subsequent rescuing of a child has gone viral on the internet. In the video, a woman can be seen picking up a toddler and the kid's mother, a mute woman, trying to look for it. Some men, who were recording the incident, follow and confront the kidnapper and return the baby to its mother.

The incident is being shared on the internet as a real one.

However, we found that the video is a scripted and dramatised one. We found the original post on Facebook, which carried a disclaimer that said that the video was created for 'entertainment purpose only.'

WebQoof has debunked several such videos showing dramatised kidnappings that have been shared recently with false or misleading claims.

CLAIM

The video was shared on a Facebook page called Vikas News Anand with a caption in Gujarati that said, "છોકરાઓ લઈ જતી રંગે હાથ ઝડપી સોશિયલ મીડિયામાં વાયરલ".

[Translation: Viral video shows child kidnapper caught red handed.]

The video had been shared over 15,000 times and had 7.8 million views while this story was being written.

An archive of the post can be found here. 

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

The video was also shared by others on Facebook, archive of which can be found here.

WHAT WE FOUND OUT

While looking for other posts with the video, we found a video that mentioned the original creator of the video, one Ankur Jataskaran.

Post showing the original creator.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

We checked Jatuskaran's profile and found the original video on the profile, posted on 7 June. The caption of the video said, "गूँगी माँ का उठाया बच्चा." (Child kidnapped from mute mother.)

At 16 seconds into the video, we noticed a disclaimer that said that video was created for "entertainment purposes only."

Screenshot from the video.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

"Information contained herein is not intended to be a source of advice or credit analysis with respect to the information presented. Any action you take, inspiring from this video, is strictly at your own risk. We will not be liable for any losses or damages in connection with the use of information available in this video," the disclaimer read.

We then went through the user's Facebook page and found several similar scripted videos and prank videos.

The Quint's WebQoof team has debunked several such scripted videos showing child kidnappings in the recent past, some of which can be read here and here.

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