WayfairGate was a conspiracy theory that falsely alleged that online furniture store Wayfair was acting as a hub for human trafficking.[1][2][3] It originated in July 2020, when a number of users on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube started spreading claims that the furniture the company was selling online were actually children.[1][4]
In 2020, multiple believers of the conspiracy theory falsely stated that an American teenager had been sold as a $10,000 pillow on Wayfair. She was at home with her family at the time. A number of other teenagers who had been shown not to have been trafficked by the company were later identified.[1][5][6]
References
edit- 1 2 3 Novak, Matt (2026-02-04). "Why the Epstein Files Are Reviving a Conspiracy Theory About Wayfair and Human Trafficking". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
- ↑ Swenson | AP, Amanda Seitz and Ali (2020-07-16). "Baseless Wayfair child-trafficking theory spreads online". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
- ↑ Hupp Williamson, Sarah; Creel, Sadie; Walker, Emily (2023). "#WayfairGate and the Growth of Sex Trafficking Panics Across Social Media". Critical Criminology. 31 (3): 617–633. doi:10.1007/s10612-022-09677-2. ISSN 1205-8629.
- ↑ Liles, Jordan (2026-02-06). "Does $8K Wayfair receipt in Epstein files confirm child trafficking conspiracy theory?". Snopes. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
- ↑ "VERIFY: Separating fact, fiction in viral claims about Wayfair, human trafficking". FOX43. 2020.
- ↑ Contrera, Jessica. "A QAnon con: How the viral Wayfair sex trafficking lie hurt real kids". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2026-07-11.