A mom from New York took to Facebook after a disturbing encounter took place at her home with a FAKE CPS worker.
Ashley Bradley had just put her son, Ja’vonni, down for a nap when a woman she did not know came knocking at her door.
The stranger told Ashley that she was with Delaware County Child Protective Services and was there to remove the 9-month-old boy from her care.
“At first, I was so mad and hurt, I wasn’t thinking right,” Ashley wrote on Facebook. “But [then] I realized that she 1. Didn’t have a state issued badge, 2. My son’s name was spelled wrong on the folder she had in her hand and 3. I have no cps cases so they would not have been coming to my house.”
The whole thing sounds totally bizarre, but also, TERRIFYING.
Ashley says upon realizing that something wasn’t right with this situation, her mama bear instincts kicked in. The stranger became frustrated and gave Ashley an attitude when she began pressing the woman for proof of who she was and what she was actually there to do.
Then Ashley told the woman she needed to step away for a minute to grab her cell phone—which she planned on using to contact police.
“She was standing on my porch, as I would not let her into my home. When I walked back out into my living room from getting my phone, she was walking very fast around the corner of my house.”
Ashley immediately went to check on her son, who was safe in his crib, and contacted authorities.
They told her that while scary, this scenario is not uncommon.
Human trafficking has no age limit. Several people from different states and foreign countries are in the market for money-making children. They use fear tactics on parents to kidnap kids like Ja’vonni, and force them into a lifetime of slavery.
Thankfully, Ashley was able to see through the scam, but that doesn’t make the whole thing any less frightening. This is happening in our neighborhoods. Our kids have a target on their backs, and it is our job to educate ourselves and protect them.
In sharing her story, Ashley hopes her experience serves as a warning to all parents of the new and terrifying threats to families and children.
If you ever find yourself in a position like Ashley, report the encounter to police.