BUFFALO, N.Y. — There is no evidence that a "sex trafficking group" has approached customers inside Transit Drive businesses, the Erie County Sheriff's Office clarified on Wednesday, rebuking a claim made in a Facebook post shared more than 4,000 times.
The post, which cited a screenshot of a separate post from an unknown user, reached a wide Western New York audience this week and prompted many questions in the Amherst, Williamsville and Clarence areas. A spokesperson for the sheriff's office, however, said that the Western District of New York Human Trafficking Task Force and Alliance looked into the claim and does not believe any sex trafficking is occurring.
Amherst Police say they're aware of the post but also have no reason to believe the rumor has any merit.
Still, it does appear someone — or some group — is approaching customers in the Transit Drive corridor and asking shoppers to join a bible study group. One frequent customer, who requested her name not be published, said in a phone interview that a young woman stopped her inside Wegmans two months ago and asked her, "Are you Catholic?" She was then asked to attend a study session because "we feel there are not enough women who believe in the Catholic religion."
In the comment section of the original post, Facebook users described similar stories inside the Transit Drive Walmart and Target. Although law enforcement agencies ruled out the sex trafficking rumor, it still remains unclear whether this person or people are affiliated with any specific religious group.
A Wegmans spokesperson said that the company's employees have not personally witnessed any customers being approached, but she urged them to notify the store or police if it does happen.
The Erie County Sheriff's Office spokesperson also said people should file an official police report if they are approached inside a store.