France Probes Vinted Over Suspected Child Trafficking Listings

French authorities have launched a preliminary investigation into the second-hand marketplace Vinted after a viral TikTok video alleged that suspiciously priced listings for toys and figurines were actually coded advertisements for child trafficking. The Nanterre Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed on June 25 that it had opened an inquiry following multiple citizen reports, with France’s juvenile police unit, Ofmin, conducting initial verifications, according to France Inter.

The Viral Trigger

The controversy erupted on June 15 when TikTok influencer Djena (@djena_story, 370,000 followers) posted a video alleging that certain Vinted listings were using coded language to facilitate child trafficking. “Nobody is talking about the fact that there is child trafficking on Vinted,” she said in the video, which amassed over 7 million views on TikTok and more than 10 million across platforms within a week, as 20 Minutes reported.

Examples cited included a teddy bear listed for €31,000 described as “9 years old, 134 cm, female, good condition, white, virgin,” and a “newborn, 44 cm” bear for £10,000 shown with its back suggestively exposed. Other listings described a “3-year-old, female, 91 cm” bear for €1,050 as “small, blond, blue eyes, obedient.” A “rare flower, up to 1 month, 50 cm” was listed for €20,000, and a remote control appeared for the same price. The listings shared a pattern: low-value items with exorbitant prices and descriptions that read like human profiles.

The 20 Minutes Investigation

The most disturbing evidence emerged when journalist Mikaël Libert from 20 Minutes contacted a seller who had listed a remote control for €20,000. After a brief exchange on Vinted, the seller moved the conversation to an encrypted messaging platform. There, the seller allegedly offered to sell a 7-year-old red-haired girl for €12,000, including delivery, and even offered to change her hair color. The seller claimed to have other children “in stock” and said a brunette girl was “already reserved.” 20 Minutes immediately reported the exchange to authorities.

However, the photos used by the seller were later found to be old images likely stolen from the internet, raising critical questions. The encounter could represent genuine trafficking, an elaborate scam using stolen photos to extract payments, a troll exploiting the viral rumor, or a disturbed individual engaging in fantasy without real children involved. 20 Minutes noted that while the exchange was deeply disturbing, some elements were inconsistent, and the seller eventually stopped responding.

Official Response

Sarah El Haïry, France’s High Commissioner for Children, stated: “Thanks to the vigilance of citizens, suspicious accounts potentially linked to child trafficking on Vinted have been reported.” She referred the matter to the Pharos platform for illegal online content and the media regulator Arcom, as Het Laatste Nieuws reported. “There is never too much caution: I prefer a strict precautionary principle to a single child abandoned to their tormentors,” she added.

Vinted’s Position

Vinted denies the allegations, stating it found “no credible evidence” linking listings to child trafficking. The company attributes the age fields to standard toy age recommendations and high prices to collection value, negotiation tactics, or provocations. “Advertisements deliberately falsified to fuel rumors will be removed and involved accounts risk suspension or ban,” Vinted stated.

Historical Context: The Return of Wayfairgate

This is not the first time such accusations have surfaced. In November 2023, similar rumors circulated on French social media, traced to French-speaking QAnon communities. The current wave is described by experts as a resurgence of the “Wayfairgate” conspiracy theory from 2020, which falsely accused US furniture retailer Wayfair of selling children through overpriced cabinets.

Tristan Mendès France, a digital culture and conspiracy theory specialist at Université Paris-Diderot, stated: “Our French QAnons are relaunching a ‘Wayfairgate’ delusion from 2020. They’re now recycling it with Vinted.”

Competing Narratives

The story presents two competing interpretations that authorities must now untangle. The alarmist view holds that the detailed descriptions of age, height, gender, and condition—combined with exorbitant prices for low-value items—constitute a coded system for child trafficking, with the 20 Minutes investigation providing circumstantial support. The skeptical view argues that the listings are explainable by normal marketplace behavior—toy age recommendations, collection pricing, or trolling—and that the historical pattern of similar allegations being debunked suggests a moral panic fueled by conspiracy theories.

Credibility Assessment

The competing claims rest on different evidentiary foundations. France Inter and 20 Minutes are established, credible news organizations that conducted original reporting. Sarah El Haïry’s official statements are confirmed across multiple sources. Vinted’s denial, while self-interested, is consistent. The 20 Minutes encounter remains the most compelling piece of evidence—a journalist’s first-hand account of a seller offering a child—but the use of stolen photos undermines its reliability.

What’s Next

The Nanterre investigation, conducted by Ofmin, will determine whether there is any substance to the claims. If no evidence is found, the case may be framed as a moral panic amplified by social media algorithms—a modern iteration of the Wayfairgate phenomenon. If evidence is found, it would represent a significant criminal case with major implications for online marketplace regulation.

Regardless of the outcome, Vinted is likely to face increased scrutiny from French regulators. The case also highlights the tension between platform safety and the spread of unsubstantiated rumors. The recurring pattern of these allegations—Wayfair in 2020, Vinted in 2023, and now Vinted again in 2026—suggests that online marketplaces remain vulnerable to conspiracy-driven moral panics, and that social media algorithms play a powerful role in amplifying such claims in an era of heightened child protection concerns.