Momo - a widely-reported self-harm 'challenge' aimed at children - is actually a hoax, fact-checkers say
Following a flurry of newspaper scare stories, some schools have warned parents about the"momo challenge" - but fact-checkers say it is a hoax.
According to the false story, children are contacted on WhatsApp by an account claiming to be momo. They are supposedly encouraged to save the character as a contact and then asked to carry out challenges as well as being told not to tell other members of their family.Several newspaper articles claim the momo challenge had been"linked" to the deaths of 130 teenagers in Russia. The reports have not been corroborated by the relevant authorities.
Police in the UK have not reported any instances of children harming themselves due to the momo meme. "This is merely a current, attention-grabbing example of the minefield that is online communication for kids," wrote the Police Service of Northern Ireland, in a Facebook post.
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