False reports about kidnappings: Alarming fraud in Calw!

False reports about kidnappings: Alarming fraud in Calw!

In recent weeks, false reports of alleged child abductions have repeatedly caused excitement and concern in the region. In mid-August 2025, there was an alarming spread of a fake post about the alleged disappearance of an eight-year-old girl named Clara Schulz in Calw. A similar story was recently reported about an eleven-year-old Klara Schröder, also in Calw. However, the Pforzheim police quickly made it clear that there were no such missing cases and that the children mentioned did not exist. Silas Lindörfer, spokesman for the Pforzheim police headquarters, emphasized that such information should come exclusively from the police or other security authorities. In another incident on August 28, 2025, false reports circulated about a girl named Lisa Vogel. This information was mainly found in Facebook groups and had one common denominator: it was not about the safety of children, but about perfidious phishing attempts.

Emotional language and a sense of urgency go hand in hand to get users to interact and click on the links in these posts. These links hide dubious websites that present fake login pages or alleged fundraisers. Anyone who carelessly enters their access data runs the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft. The Mimikama association explicitly warns against this: Stolen Facebook profiles can be sold in underground forums as digital capital, which further exacerbates the problem.

The dangers of fake news

The police agree: Such postings are not only harmful, they can also lead to the loss of personal data. While the stories often vary - sometimes the children are in Aachen, sometimes in Karlsruhe or Pforzheim - the harmful core of the false reports remains the same. The Salzgitter police and other authorities have explicitly stated that there is no evidence of the disappearance of a girl. Officials repeatedly warn: Only trust reputable sources of information, especially when it comes to reports of missing children. The lack of reliable information can give people a false sense of security.

The spread of fake news and misleading information is a phenomenon that occurs not only locally, but globally. Major social media is often a breeding ground for such content. According to a report from the Federal Agency for Civic Education, the problem is exacerbated by low trust in political and media institutions, which increases the risk of believing fake news. From the experiences of the last few months it is clear that a healthy distrust of sensationalist articles is appropriate. The EU has launched initiatives such as “EU vs. Disinfo” to combat this.

How to protect yourself

It is important that users treat information they read on social media critically. An awareness of your own media literacy is essential in order not to get carried away by emotional posts. The reasons for the spread of fake news are varied, but one thing remains clear: the dangers are real, and the responsibility also lies with the user himself not to be misled and not to disclose confidential information carelessly. The recommendation is to view reports of missing children or similar serious topics with skepticism and to pay attention to trustworthy sources. Adequate media literacy could be the key to effectively reducing the spread of fake news and restoring trust in serious news.