A fraudulent advertisement on Craigslist, which was created as part of an online prank, has been incorrectly presented on social media as proof of criminal schemes within Minnesota's day care system. This comes as federal investigators continue to examine allegations of fraud at facilities operated by Somali residents.
The Prank Ad and Its Rapid Spread
The now-removed advertisement was posted on 1 January 2026 in the general labour section for Hennepin County, Minnesota. It claimed a day care centre in Minneapolis' Ventura Village neighbourhood needed to hire 20 child actors for three days. The children were supposedly required to pose as attendees during a state inspection, with an offered payment of $1,500 per day.
Screenshots of this listing quickly proliferated across platforms like X and TikTok. One widely-shared post on X framed it as "BREAKING" news, alleging the ad was discovered proof of deceit. A separate TikTok video, viewed around 14,300 times, asserted the advertisement was "100% serious." These posts collectively amassed tens of thousands of engagements, presenting the ad as concrete evidence supporting ongoing fraud investigations.
Unmasking the Hoax
In reality, the advertisement was bait for a comedy show. Joey LaFleur, co-host of the prank programme Goofcon1, confirmed to The Associated Press that his team created the listing. "The show's called Goofcon1 and it is a funny show," LaFleur stated. "We do pranks and stuff like that."
He reported receiving a "ton of responses" and planned to feature callbacks to interested parties in a live broadcast on Saturday, 10 January. LaFleur added that beyond comedy, the show aims to highlight predatory behaviour and criticise conservatives who, in his view, "don't care about fact checking."
Political Context and Broader Implications
The circulation of this false evidence occurs against a tense political backdrop. On Monday, 5 January 2026, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ended his campaign for a third term. This decision coincided with intense focus from President Donald Trump's administration on the day care fraud probes.
Also on Monday, the administration announced plans to tighten regulations governing federal child care funding. The combination of a major political development and a high-profile investigation created fertile ground for misinformation, with the prank ad being weaponised to support a pre-existing narrative about systemic fraud.
This incident underscores the speed at which unverified content can spread during sensitive investigations. It serves as a stark reminder of the importance of consulting authoritative fact-checking sources before sharing claims that align with contentious political narratives.
