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Round Rock police warn of social media hoax trend
A viral social media trend where teens are staging fake home invasions has reached Central Texas, according to the Round Rock Police Department.
ROUND ROCK, Texas - A viral social media trend where teens are staging fake home invasions has reached Central Texas, according to the Round Rock Police Department.
What they're saying:
The trend involves teens staging home invasions and scaring their parents with alarming texts and AI-generated images, which are designed to appear realistic and often depict a homeless person sitting on a coach, standing in the kitchen, or eating food inside the home.
RRPD says the trend has been circulating on social media platforms like TikTok and is intended to create fear and panic, leading to parents calling 911.
The trend has prompted at least two calls in Round Rock over the past weekend; both were confirmed to be hoaxes, according to police.
"While no one was harmed, making false reports like these can tie up emergency resources and delay responses to legitimate calls for service," police say.
What you can do:
Police are encouraging parents and guardians to talk to their kids about the risks and potential legal consequences of participating in trends like this.
In Texas, knowingly making a false report to police is a Class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine of up to $4,000 and/or up to a year in jail.
If the false report concerns an emergency at a school, public communication, public transportation, public utility, or any other public service facility, it is then a state-jail felony, which is punishable by six months to two years in jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
The Source: Information in this report comes from the Round Rock Police Department and Texas statutes.