A Craigslist advertisement seeking child actors to pose as attendees at a Minnesota day care centre has been confirmed as a prank, contradicting social media claims that it proved fraud among Somali-run facilities. The ad, posted on January 1 in Hennepin County, offered $1,500 daily for 20 children to act during state inspections.
Joey LaFleur, co-host of the prank show Goofcon1, told the Associated Press the ad was part of their programme. “We do pranks and stuff like that,” he said, adding that the show received many responses and plans to call interested parties during a live event.
Despite the ad’s removal, screenshots circulated widely on platforms like X and TikTok, with one video claiming it was “100% serious” and amassing over 14,000 views. LaFleur emphasised that Goofcon1 aims to expose conservatives who “don't care about fact checking.”
The false claims emerged amid a Trump administration investigation into alleged fraud at Minnesota day cares run by Somali residents. Meanwhile, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ended his re-election bid, and the administration announced plans to tighten rules for federal child care funds.
