‘We do pranks and stuff like that’: Craigslist ad that sought 20 child actors for Minnesota daycare centers taken down after fueling fake news

As the Trump administration continues to investigate a series of alleged fraud schemes at Minnesota day care centers run by Somali residents, social media users are falsely citing a Craigslist ad as evidence of such deceit.

The ad, which is no longer live, said a day care center in Minneapolis’ Ventura Village neighborhood was hiring 20 child actors for three days to pose as attendees while it is vetted by the state. It noted the children would be paid $1,500 per day.

But the ad was a prank. It is not proof of fraud in Minnesota.

Here’s a closer look at the facts.

CLAIM: A Craigslist ad seeking child actors to legitimize a Minnesota day care center is proof of alleged fraud perpetrated by Somali residents.

THE FACTS: This is false. The ad, which was posted Jan. 1 in Craigslist’s Hennepin County, Minnesota, section for general labor jobs, was bait for an online prank show, its cohost Joey LaFleur told The Associated Press.

“The show’s called Goofcon1 and it is a funny show,” LaFleur said. “We do pranks and stuff like that.”

He added the show received a “ton of responses” to the ad and said he and his two cohosts will be doing a live show Saturday where they will call people who expressed interest.

Screenshots of the ad were used in social media posts on multiple platforms, cited as proof of fraud at Minnesota day care centers. The posts gained tens of thousands of likes, shares and views.

“BREAKING – A Craigslist ad seeking child actors for a daycare in Minneapolis’ Hennepin County has been discovered, with the poster requesting 20 children to act as clients while the state observes them to determine whether it’s a legitimate daycare,” reads one X post sharing the ad.

A man in a TikTok video called the ad “100% serious.” The video was viewed approximately 14,300 times.

LaFleur said that in addition to being a prank show, Goofcon1 wants to protect against predators and call out conservatives who “don’t care about fact checking.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ended his bid for a third term Monday amid President Donald Trump’s relentless focus on the fraud investigations. Also Monday, the Trump administration said it’s planning to tighten rules for federal child care funds.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com