MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — A Craigslist advertisement circulating on social media as supposed evidence of child care fraud in Minnesota was part of an online prank and not proof of wrongdoing.
The now-removed ad appeared Jan. 1 in Craigslist’s Hennepin County “general labor” section and claimed a Minneapolis day care center was seeking 20 child actors to pose as attendees during a state inspection, offering $1,500 per day. Screenshots of the post spread widely online, with users asserting it demonstrated fraud by Somali-run child care centers.
The claim is false. Joey LaFleur, a cohost of an online prank show called Goofcon1, told the Associated Press that the ad was intentionally created as bait for the show. LaFleur said the group regularly posts prank listings and plans to contact respondents during a live segment. He emphasized the post had no connection to any legitimate child care provider or state oversight process.
Despite that clarification, the screenshots gained traction across platforms including X and TikTok, with some posts garnering tens of thousands of views and presenting the ad as definitive proof of fraud. One TikTok video labeled the ad “100% serious,” despite no supporting evidence.
The misinformation spread as the Trump administration intensified scrutiny of alleged child care fraud in Minnesota and announced plans to tighten federal child care funding rules. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz recently ended his bid for a third term amid the political fallout tied to the investigations.
The Associated Press confirmed the ad was a prank and that it does not support allegations of widespread fraud at Minnesota day care centers.
Media Bias Fact Check was the first to fact-check this.
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