A mom took to TikTok to issue a warning to anyone with children to pay close attention to whom they are talking to. To what they do on the phone.
In a viral video with over 3.4 million views, uploaded by user Kayla (@mama_mess_express), the mom gave details about a harrowing interaction she had with a child over the phone.
“This is a PSA to anyone who has a child with a phone,” the woman began in the clip. “this is the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced.
The content creator, who is a bakery-owner and mom of four, then explained how she got a random call from a strange number one night. When she answered the phone a young child called asking for a birthday cake.
“She said that she wanted a Lilo and Stitch birthday cake,” the woman recalled.
After the woman asked to talk to the girl’s parents to confirm the cake order, that’s when things got weird.
“she said her mom was in the store,” the bakery owner continued. “And that she was stuck in the car with her mom’s friend who took some medicine and was sleeping.”
The content creator then said she decided she would remain on the phone until the girl’s mother returned to the car. That’s when she discovered the girl lived in Chicago though she was calling a bakery in Maryland.
“I said, ‘Oh, honey, I’m not sure if I can make you a cake,” she said she told the girl. “I’m like really far away from you.”
Still, she continued to make small talk and the girl told her she would be turning 8 years old on her birthday.
Eventually, the girl hung up the phone but then called back saying she was hungry. She wanted to go into the store and buy something to eat but the bakery owner insisted she remain in the car and call 911 if she felt unsafe. Despite the woman’s advice the girl allegedly decided to go to the store and hang up the phone anyway.
‘I think there was a total of 15 phone calls‘
That’s when Kayla said she got a sinking feeling that she might be a victim of a potential scam. She also decided to reach out to her local sheriff’s department for direction about what to do next but they said they could not help. Instead, she would have to get in touch with Chicago police to report the incident.
After she received yet another call, she decided to ask the girl for more information to try to figure out where she lived and get her help.
“I think there was a total of 15 phone calls back and forth between 8:15 last night and 10:30,” the bakery owner said.
During one of those calls, the girl did not speak but yelling between adults could be heard.
“At this point, I’m about to throw up,” she said.
She could not figure out what was going on and felt sick with worry about the girl. She had a bad feeling about the whole ordeal.
“All the while, I’m still trying to convince myself that this is not real,” Kayla said. “It’s got to be a scam.”
Still, she felt responsible for getting her help. The bakery owner was able to get the girl’s full name, address, and even the school she attended. She then contacted the child welfare office in the girl’s area to try to get someone to check on her.
“And a I filed a full, complete report this morning with every ounce of information I have,” she said.
How to help a child victim of suspected abuse or neglect
Ultimately, she warned parents to talk to their kids and check their phones to ensure they are not calling strangers.
In the comments section, many applauded the woman for taking action to protect the little girl on the phone.
“You may have saved this girl’s life,” user Sarah Lynch Hoffman said. “Thank you.”
“She was definitely reaching out for help even if she wasn’t aware she was doing it,” user hv commented.
“Gosh, that baby just wanted someone to talk to,” another user said.
Every state has a State Central Registry that anyone who has a reasonable concern about a child being subjected to abuse or neglect can call. Most states have a toll-free number to report suspected child abuse or neglect.
@mama_mess_express PSA 📣 CHECK YOUR KIDS PHONES!! #fyp #missingkids #phonesafety #phones #humantraffickingawarenes #kidnapping #safetytips ♬ original sound – Kayla ✨
In a follow-up video, the woman said a child protective services worker was supposed to go to the girl’s home to check on her. However, she did not divulge anymore information about the child’s well-being.
The Daily Dot reached out to Kayla via TikTok direct message and comment for more information.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
