Credit: TikTok
Police Warn Viral TikTok Trend Is Putting Lives At Risk
Police are warning that TikTok tricksters who are causing panic among homeowners could put lives at risk.
Law enforcement across the world are warning against the trend.
The City of Salem Police Department called it ‘stupid and potentially dangerous’ while, in New York, the Yonkers Police Department said the prank has already happened ‘a few times.’
On Facebook, they wrote: “That’s not just a waste of resources… it’s a real safety risk for officers who are responding and for the family members who are home if our officers get there before the prank is revealed.”
What is the ‘dangerous’ TikTok trend?
If you’ve scrolled social media recently, you’ve probably come across the bizarre ‘AI homeless man’ prank – where people trick friends or parents into thinking a rough sleeper has broken into their home.
The trend uses AI image generators to create fake photos showing a homeless man eating food, sleeping in someone’s bed, or refusing to leave the house.
Pranksters then send the images to their family or friends to record their panicked reactions before sharing the clips online.
But police have now slammed the trend, warning that it’s causing real-world problems for emergency services.
Police in Poole, in the UK, said they were recently called to a supposed home invasion after an ‘extremely concerned parent fell for the prank.’
In a Facebook post, officers said: “Look, we all love a good laugh and this can sometimes be by an innocent prank. However, the ‘AI Homeless Man Prank’ trend is not the one.
“Last week, we received a 999 call from an extremely concerned parent who genuinely believed a homeless man had entered their family home whilst their daughter was the only one present – this transpired to be the above mentioned prank.
“Not only did this use valuable deployable resources which could have attended an alternative emergency, it was deemed a blue light response.
“If you receive a message and pictures similar to the above antics from friends or family, please attempt to check it isn’t a prank before dialling 999.”
How the AI homeless trend works
To make the fake images, users take photos of rooms in their homes, then ask AI platforms such as ChatGPT to digitally add a homeless person into the picture.
They then send the images to loved ones and screen-record the exchange to post on social media.
During one video on TikTok, a prankster texts her partner: “There’s a man who knocked on our door,” before sending a picture of the supposed homeless man at the front of their house.
She continues: “He says he knows you. I told him you’re not home, but he said he wants to wait for you so I let him inside.”
She persists in sending pictures of the AI rough sleeper on their furniture, as her partner sends her texts such as: “Who is this guy?” and “Get out [of] the [house] and call 911!!!”
He eventually appears with the police at their home and the woman is forced to admit it was a joke.
The message from police is simple: think before you prank.
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