Social Media Posts Describing Predators Scrawling Letters and Numbers on Vehicles, Not Proven, Says EPD and HCSO

1 f

[Staged photo from the EPD]

After receiving multiple people asking if the 1F/1C written in the dust on cars social media posts were real, we reached out the the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and Eureka Police. Both departments are looking into the posts that warn that human traffickers are targeting women and children by writing one female or one child on victims cars and then kidnapping them as they come back into parking lots.

Brittany Powell, spokesperson for EPD, told us,

We are actively trying to get to the bottom of this.  We’ve had about 5 people call in over the week reporting that they found something similar to 1F written in the dust on their window.  I believe all occurred while parked at the mall.  We currently do not have any evidence that these local incidents are connected to kidnapping or human trafficking, or if it is a prank.  I’ve reached out to our local FBI office to get more information but as of now, we have not received any state or federal alerts of this nature.

We are currently attempting to get any potential video surveillance of the local incidents.

The EPD also suggested,

Continue to be aware of your surrounding and report any suspicious activity to your local authorities. Take notice of clothing and vehicle descriptions, and get the license plate if possible.
Here is some information on indicators of Human Trafficking from the Department of Homeland Security: https://www.dhs.gov/blue…/indicators-human-trafficking

Samantha Karges from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office told us,

Not proven social media post

A post on Humboldt Mom’s Facebook page that has not been proven.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has been made aware of “1F, 1C” being written on vehicles only through viral social media posts from all across the country, and most recently in a particular Facebook group for Humboldt County mothers.

The Sheriff’s Office has not received reports of this happening at any grocery stores within our jurisdiction nor have we received any abduction reports matching those being shared online. Our staff has not received any official intelligence briefings or reports verifying that human traffickers are marking cars of vulnerable persons by writing “1F” or similar on them.

That being said, we do know that human trafficking is real and does occur within Humboldt County. While we do not have official intelligence linking these stories being shared online to facts, we also strongly urge the public to remain vigilant and aware whenever out in public. If a person feels like they are being followed in a store or parking lot, seek out a store employee, notify them of what is going on and call law enforcement. If a community member observes something strange on their vehicle that they were not expecting to be there, do not investigate further. Get inside your car, lock the doors and drive to somewhere safe like your local law enforcement office. Please report suspicious circumstances to your local law enforcement.

I’d like to take this opportunity to share some human trafficking facts from the Polaris Project:

  1. Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion to get another person to provide labor or commercial sex. Worldwide, experts believe there are more situations of labor trafficking than of sex trafficking, but there is much wider awareness of sex trafficking in the U.S. than of labor trafficking.
  2. The most pervasive myth about human trafficking is that it often involves kidnapping or physically forcing someone into a situation. Most traffickers use psychological means such as, tricking, defrauding, manipulating or threatening victims into providing commercial sex or exploitative labor.
  3. Many survivors have been trafficked by romantic partners, including spouses, and by family members, including parents.
  4. One study estimates that as many as half of sex trafficking victims and survivors are male. Advocates believe that percentage may be even higher but that male victims are far less likely to be identified. LGBTQ boys and young men are seen as particularly vulnerable to trafficking.
  5. Human trafficking is often confused with human smuggling, which involves illegal border crossings. In fact, the crime of human trafficking does not require any movement whatsoever. Survivors can be recruited and trafficked in their own home towns, even their own homes.
  6. Labor trafficking occurs in the United States and in other developed countries but is reported at lower rates than sex trafficking. Human trafficking cases have been reported and prosecuted in industries including restaurants, cleaning services, construction, factories and more.
  7. Sometimes people being trafficked are physically unable to leave their situations or are being held against their will. More often, however, people in trafficking situations stay for reasons that are more complicated. Some lack the basic necessities to physically get out – such as transportation or a safe place to live. Some are afraid for their safety. Some have been so effectively manipulated that they do not identify at that point as being under the control of another person.
  8. All commercial sex involving a minor is legally considered human trafficking.
  9. Every trafficking situation is unique and self-identification as a trafficking victim or survivor happens along a continuum. Fear, isolation, guilt, shame, misplaced loyalty and expert manipulation are among the many factors that may keep a person from seeking help or identifying as a victim even if they are, in fact, being actively trafficked.
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Doyourreasearch
Guest
Doyourreasearch
3 years ago

This is an opportunity for people to educate themselves on human trafficking and what it actually is. It is not people kidnapping white woman and children off the streets. It exponentially affects minorites more. Its predators exploiting the most vulnerable of our population, like the out of town workers who go out into the hills to work on pot farms. If a white woman was kidnapped out of a parking lot it would be news. There has been no substantiated reports of this happening. People need to stop with the “a friend of a friend told me” and do their research.

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
3 years ago

Do you think it is necessarily race that is the key to who is affected? Would socioeconomic class possibly be a more accurate predictor? Serious question. Poor people of all races have many similar experiences.

Doyourreasearch
Guest
Doyourreasearch
3 years ago
Reply to  I like stars

You make a great point. I do think socioeconomic class can also be used as an indicator, as well as at risk youth and runaways. There does seem to be evidence though that people of color and minorites are more affected because of the systemic racism in our country.
https://www.dressember.org/blog/raceandtrafficking-fd9cb

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
3 years ago

Thank you for the reply. Race and income are tied together to some extent . From my view I often see socio economics as key. For instance, helping all people below a certain income level might benefit more of one race than another but would not be unfair. I do recognize that sometimes cultural groups have different needs, but we all have some common needs too.

Clayton Bigsby
Guest
Clayton Bigsby
3 years ago

Systemic racism is a MYTH !
It doesn’t exist in the USA .

Mama
Guest
Mama
3 years ago

Thank you for posting!

Loveolution
Guest
Loveolution
3 years ago

Please stay positive and take care of each other. The few sadistic people who prey on other humans can be out loved. Please stop spreading rumours, fear mongering and divisiveness can cause serious harm. Please treat all people with kindness and consideration even if you suspect wrong doing. Observe as many details as you can and contact a trained professional….not Facebook.
There are several support groups in the area, some funded by the goverment(you) and others private. Let’s get organized to support, nurture and protect everybody especially women, children, elders, and anyone suffering from illness

It’s a QAnon farce, People
Guest
It’s a QAnon farce, People
3 years ago

Truly can’t believe anyone would call the police over such ridiculousness …..AND pleeease educate yourselves, people. No one is kidnapping anyone. Truly not how trafficking works. And of course our idiot sheriff and his keystone cops are still waiting on antifa buses to arrive. This is nothing more than a dipshit with a dirty finger scaring timid white people with a QAnon conspiracy. Oh and btw that imbecilic pizza basement bullshit has gotten many people killed by right wing lunatics. You know, the “ pro lifer” fetus people that don’t gaf about actual adult humans

Hum
Guest
Hum
3 years ago

Fake news for reals.

Do a little Google search people

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sex-traffickers-tagging-cars/

Jay
Guest
Jay
3 years ago
Reply to  Hum

probably just another Q-Anon conspiracy theory

#Quack-anon
Guest
#Quack-anon
3 years ago
Reply to  Jay

This story will be retweeted endlessly on Q-anon gamer Twitter pages as rock solid “proof”. Victims of another Russian mind hack, bless their hearts.

Eyeball Kid
Guest
Eyeball Kid
3 years ago

Wash your car windows.

Joe
Guest
Joe
3 years ago
Reply to  Eyeball Kid

HAHAHA!😂🤣😂! Problem solved!

Mike
Guest
Mike
3 years ago
Reply to  Joe

Stay strapped, problem also solved.

Black Rifles Matter
Guest
Black Rifles Matter
3 years ago

Same thing happened at the Redding mall too.

Pike Mortar
Guest
Pike Mortar
3 years ago

You mouth breathers think some ring of pimps is marking cars, hiding in Palco Marsh, waiting for some single woman to come out of WalMart, and then abducting her into a life of sexual servitude?

Yesterdayscoffee
Guest
Yesterdayscoffee
3 years ago
Reply to  Pike Mortar

It gives them another excuse to stock up on ammunition. There’s no problem that can’t be shot by a good guy with a gun..

Black Rifles Matter
Guest
Black Rifles Matter
3 years ago

All good, god fearing gun toting patriots don’t need to stock up on ammo. Done did that back when Obama was President. Still sitting fat!
But you are right Even though I sense some sarcasm in your post, give a good guy a gun while you hold his beer and watch what happens.
Example: Kyle Rittenhouse.

Ice
Guest
Ice
3 years ago

This has been debunked as false. No one is marking cars to traffic people. Also, Safeway checked their cameras and no kidnapping or anything like one occurred, police know nothing about it, and no Safeway employees even heard about it. It didnt happen here. And the same thing was posted in Redding as happening there and it didn’t happen there either. People need to fact check things they post…

Mike
Guest
Mike
3 years ago

Liberals when someone doesn’t wear a mask “OH MY GOD YOURE KILLING MY GRANDMA!!” Liberal when there’s allegations of potential sex trafficking, “grow up, your just conspiracy nuts who have guns and are totally racists.”

Angela Robinson
Guest
Angela Robinson
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

The bad part of these crazy Q-Anon type Facebook spread rumors is thatactual predators will continue to actually doing it whule everyone’s attention is focused on the nuttery and moral panic. But because these numbskulls (see piazzagate) have spread so many false rumors that the real crimes can get lost in the craziness.

And yes, Q Anon and any “group” like that are full of crazy.

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[…] summer, posts allegedly circulated on Facebook claiming that cars in Humboldt County were being marked with 1F or […]

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[…] what do the experts say? According to the Eureka Police Department, whose logo appears in @dutchintheusa’s TikTok, the story is largely […]

Lyn
Guest
Lyn
2 years ago

Does anyone know if this lado a another human trafficking mark?

Lyn
Guest
Lyn
2 years ago

?