A viral Facebook post has sparked concerns about safety in the Fox Valley.
A woman claimed her mother was almost the victim of an attempted abduction for human trafficking in the Fox River Mall parking lot. The post has been shared nearly 20,000 times.
The woman said her mother was getting into her car outside Macy's when another car pulled up directly next to her, which she found odd because there were open spots around, according to the post.
When the woman got home, she found a ring in a bag under her windshield, with a message saying it was a free gift from Kay Jewelers.
The woman and her mother believe the ring was placed there to lure the mom out of the car for a potential abduction, according to the Facebook post.
Grand Chute Police are investigating this incident, but said they don't believe it is connected to human trafficking.
"There's nothing to support the claim at this point in time," said Greg Peterson, Grand Chute Police Chief. "Having said that, we're going to look further into it."
They are still unsure of the motive, however, and said the ring could have been placed there for some other crime.
Advocates against human trafficking also don't know if a potential pimp would use that technique.
"They're definitely more behind the scenes and they don't want that kind of attention, they don't want to be seen as a pimp so to speak," said Caroline Lasecki with the Sexual Assault Crisis Center.
Both Lasecki and Chief Peterson said traffickers target young, vulnerable girls and "groom" them, offering them gifts and support, before forcing them into the sex trade.
Police said they haven't seen any cases in Grand Chute, the surrounding area, or even the state where a woman was forcefully abducted and trafficked. Nonetheless, they said human trafficking still goes on in the Fox Valley.
"Our law enforcement friends always say, if there are hotels, there are men, and there's a highway, there's trafficking," Lasecki explained.
"We take it very seriously," said Chief Peterson.
If you believe someone you know is being trafficked, contact local authorities or the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 888-373-7888. Also, visit www.traffickingresourcecenter.org/get-help.
