See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy ELIANA SILVER, SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 14:43 BST, 30 June 2026 | Updated: 14:53 BST, 30 June 2026
French authorities are investigating allegations of child trafficking on second-hand resale platform Vinted after a series of allegedly sexually coded listings appeared on the site. Users began spotting unusual listings for old toys, including plushies and baby dolls, being sold for unusually high prices.Alongside the photos and inflated price tags, many claimed to have identified what they described as sexually coded language in the item descriptions.Videos compiled by content creators showing screenshots of the listings quickly went viral, prompting France's High Commissioner for Children, Sarah El Haïry, to refer the posts to the authorities for investigation.One post shared by a user on social media shows a photo of a lamp priced at $6000. The description reads: '15 female. Quiet. Submissive. Shy.' The condition is listed as 'satisfactory.'Another post shows a stuffed bunny priced at €1,000, described as '3 years old and female' with a height of 91 cm and a weight of 13kg. It further adds 'Small, blonde, blue eyes, obedient girl.'A third post shows a baby doll priced at $1,700 described as a 'preemie' while a fourth shows an Etch A Sketch priced at €6,000.The post describes the item as 13, shy, anxious and noisy. One post shared by a user on social media shows a photo of a lamp priced at $6000 Another post shows a stuffed bunny priced at €1,000, described as '3 years old and female' A third post shows a baby doll priced at $1,700 described as a 'preemie'A police unit specialising in minors is leading the probe. Writing on social media, El Haïry said: 'You can never be too careful.''I would rather see a strict precautionary principle applied than a single child left at the mercy of their abusers.'The truth must be established without any taboos. Platforms have a responsibility: no space should be a hunting ground for predators.'Meanwhile, Vinted, based in Lithuania, have said that their investigations have found no credible evidence of child trafficking on the platform. The resale site added that they were taking action to remove fake listings that had been created deliberately to 'fuel this conversation'.Vinted told Agence France-Presse in a statement that the listings referred to the age group the toys were intended for, adding that the unusually high prices reflected 'either genuine collector's value, or provocative behaviour, or bargaining tactics'.In a statement to the Daily Mail, Vinted said: 'German police, independent fact-checker Mimikama and our own internal investigation have found no credible evidence of child trafficking on Vinted. 'We are removing deliberately faked and 'trap' listings and taking action on the accounts involved, including bans. 'We will continue to investigate and collaborate with the relevant authorities as they conduct their own investigation.'Vinted was embroiled in a similar controversy in 2023 after children's clothing was listed for unusually high prices, prompting speculation that the platform was being used to conceal a child sex trafficking ring. And in 2025, they once again found themselves surrounded by scandal after France launched an inquiry due to users reporting that some sellers were using the site to promote their OnlyFans pages.Users also claimed some were selling sexually explicit content through listings showcasing swimwear or lingerie. The content was accessible to minors, and was flagged by Ms El Haïry, since Vinted does not have age verification.
