Prosecutors open probe into suspected child trafficking on Vinted in France
A preliminary investigation into suspected child trafficking on the second-hand marketplace Vinted was opened Friday evening by prosecutors in Nanterre, France, after multiple online users flagged listings they deemed suspicious. The probe has been assigned to the Office for the Protection of Minors (Ofmin) to verify whether the platform was used to facilitate exploitation, the Nanterre public prosecutor’s office told Agence France-Presse .
Social media users had alerted authorities to advertisements offering toys at prices far exceeding their market value, a pattern previously linked to illicit networks that traffic vulnerable individuals. Similar alerts were reported by Belgian and French outlets, including La Libre and Liberation, which noted that concerned internet users had filed complaints after noticing listings that appeared to mask human exploitation behind mundane goods .
Vinted, headquartered in Paris, has not yet publicly commented on the allegations. The company’s policies prohibit the sale of exploited individuals and require sellers to provide verifiable identification, yet enforcement mechanisms have faced scrutiny in the past. Authorities have not disclosed whether any arrests have been made or if specific listings have been linked to known trafficking networks.
The development comes amid broader warnings from Europol, which Friday released a report detailing the rapid regeneration and cross-border reach of Europe’s most dangerous criminal organisations. According to the agency, networks numbering over 400,000 members operate across 731 identified groups, exploiting weaknesses in digital infrastructure and financial systems to traffic drugs, commit fraud, and engage in human trafficking .
Europol’s findings underscore the sophistication of modern trafficking operations, which adapt quickly to law enforcement tactics and often mimic legitimate corporate structures. The report highlights trafficking as a core activity for many of these networks, alongside cybercrime and property-related offences. While the investigation into Vinted remains in its preliminary stages, the case reflects a growing trend in which digital platforms are exploited to obscure criminal activity, prompting calls for tighter regulatory oversight and cross-border cooperation.
Prosecutors in Nanterre have not indicated a timeline for the completion of the inquiry, but the case is expected to intensify scrutiny of second-hand marketplaces and their safeguards against exploitation.
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