The new social media trend of sending friends and family members AI-generated images of strangers in their homes is causing panic and prompting law enforcement agencies across the United States to issue urgent warnings about potential criminal consequences.
NBC News reports that the prank, which has gained significant traction on TikTok, involves users creating AI-generated images that show unknown individuals inside their homes, then sending these fabricated photos to family members with messages suggesting the stranger is a welcomed guest. What participants consider harmless entertainment has evolved into a serious public safety concern, with police departments nationwide reporting multiple emergency responses triggered by these deceptive images.
Ray Spencer, whose TikTok video demonstrating the prank accumulated over 5 million views, described the process as surprisingly simple. “I just took a couple pictures and I was just like, oh, insert a random man in my front door, on my couch or in my bed. And it was really funny,” Spencer explained. However, the reaction from his husband revealed the genuine terror these images can provoke. “He was like, I’m shaking and like he showed me his hands and they were shaking,” Spencer recalled, adding that he quickly revealed the prank’s nature before the situation escalated further.
The trend typically involves pranksters sending messages such as “he says he knows you and I told him he can take a nap” or claiming the intruder is “your friend from college.” Recipients, believing their homes have been invaded by strangers, often experience intense panic and fear for their safety and that of their loved ones.
Law enforcement agencies have responded with increasing concern as emergency calls related to these pranks continue to surge. Police departments emphasize that these calls receive high-priority classification due to the perceived threat to personal safety. “Calls are ranked in priority and something like this would be a high priority,” explained one law enforcement official. “It causes a pretty aggressive response for us cause we’re worried about the safety the individuals in the home, which could mean clearing the home with guns out. It could mean making call out. It could cause a SWAT response.”
The Round Rock Police Department in Texas has confirmed responding to multiple home invasion calls that originated from these AI-generated prank messages. The department’s experience illustrates the broader pattern emerging across the country, where parents and family members, genuinely believing their loved ones are in immediate danger, contact emergency services for urgent assistance.
Beyond the immediate emergency response implications, law enforcement agencies are warning that participants in this trend could face serious legal consequences. While some departments have chosen not to file charges in certain cases, others have taken a more aggressive stance. At least one police department has confirmed filing criminal charges against two juveniles in connection with the prank, establishing a precedent that could influence future cases.
Read more at NBC News here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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