Wareham Police took to Facebook on Tuesday evening to dispel a rumor circulating on the social media platform that there was a suspected attempted kidnapping at a local retail store.

The message, posted at 8:29 p.m., sought to clarify a post that had begun circulating about an hour prior, including in some local town Facebook groups.

“There’s a Facebook post that claims kids are being kidnapped from a retail store in town and it happens ‘all the time.’ That’s absolutely not true,” the department said on its official Facebook page. .

The circulating message reads as follows:

“Just got this text from a close friend. My friend’s kids were nearly kidnapped on Sunday night at Target in Wareham. She was with her husband and two kids, and these guys weren’t scared! They called the cops after they got away and the cops that didn’t happen all the time specifically to that target because it’s close to the freeway Cops said they were robbing the kid, they were taking highway and they were gone! 4 cars were involved in about 10 men, definitely a professional job. Please be hyper vigilant when you go out with your children!”

The circulating post, or something similar, has appeared on social media in the past.

Pay attention to any message that mentions that it is from a friend, rather than the supposed victim posting it themselves. Also, always check with the local police department and websites such as WBSM.com and Fun107.com, because if there is any validity to the story, the police will want to make sure the public has received the more warning possible.

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