Law enforcement warns of suspicious texts asking to meet in person

BUTLER COUNTY, Ala. (Gray News) – Law enforcement is warning the public about suspicious texts that could lead to a potential sex trafficking scheme.

The Butler County Sheriff’s Office posted a message on social media explaining that texts or Facebook messages are circulating of women trying to meet up with you.

“These people are apparently trying to lure people so they can take them for sex trafficking,” the sheriff’s office wrote.

Good morning. Wanted to let everyone know that if you receive a text message or a message on Facebook that looks like...
Posted by Butler County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday, August 15, 2021

More than 1,000 people have commented on the post, many saying they had experienced something similar. Most people said the person sending the message would continue texting, trying to get a name and photo.

Amy Bailey-Ferguson in Waco, Texas, told KWTX she received the suspicious text message and said she told the person they had the wrong number, but the sender continued asking questions.

Bailey-Ferguson said she responded, “because it was the polite thing to do.”

“I thought it was odd that she would send me a picture and want to continue to talk so I blocked her,” she added.

Bailey-Ferguson told her boyfriend about the mysterious text message, who learned similar texts with the photo of the same woman had been flagged by law enforcement halfway across the country.

“I felt sick to my stomach after (I received) the screenshot from the sheriff’s office,” she told KWTX. “I have no clue how she would have gotten my number either.”