Columbia County police to students: If you “fake being kidnapped,” it’s a crime

Over the last several weeks, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office said police have seen “a growing TikTok trend” among online content creators.

Police said they’ve seen several posts on TikTok that encourage followers to “fake being kidnapped” to get out of going to school.

“Parents, students, and community members” a department post on Facebook read. “This is not a joke, and it will not be tolerated in Columbia County.”

Police said every report of a kidnapping is treated as a real, life-threatening emergency - requiring resources that could be otherwise used for real, life-threatening emergencies.

“A fabricated report also puts deputies, the public, and the student at risk,” the post read.

Police reminded people that it is a crime to knowingly give false information to law enforcement.

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