The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office is encouraging parents to keep a watchful eye on their kids after reports surfaced of an application called "Momo".
Deputies say overnight they received multiple reports from children in the community about the presence of the app.
The app allegedly targets youth and then sends them messages, encouraging them to engage in risky behaviors such as holding a knife to their throat, or sticking metal objects into light sockets.
However, many national and international news outlets have observed the issue is a hoax. A story in the Atlantic notes a viral Tweet kicked off the current scare, and has been retweeted more than 22,000 times.
"The screenshot, featuring the creepy face of 'Momo,' has spread like wildfire across the internet," the publication noted. "Local news hopped on the story Wednesday, amplifying it to millions of terrified parents. Kim Kardashian even posted a warning about the so-called Momo challenge to her 129 million Instagram followers."
In fact, the creepy face of the supposed Momo is a piece of artwork on display in a Tokyo art gallery.
When questioned about the validity of the claims, deputies say they are erring on the side of caution despite being called out by local reporters that the 'Momo' challenge is a viral hoax.
Deputies are encouraging parents to have a conversation with their children to let them know about the dangers of talking with strangers.
According to our VERIFY team, since it first surfaced last year, there have been a number of claims about children or teenagers who have been injured while taking part in the “Momo challenge," but none of them have been definitively linked.
Our VERIFY team's research shows that the claims are not backed by evidence. In fact, the spread of these claims by concerned parents and even law enforcement could be contributing to the fear surrounding them.