Wayfair has been forced to deny their involvement in human trafficking following a viral conspiracy theory on social media.
Wayfair, a global e-commerce company that sells furniture, home décor and homeware, operate via desktop websites and an app. Users are able to buy a plethora of items including duvets, mirrors, wardrobes and sheets.
Several viral Twitter and Reddit threads, however, accuse the company of seedy operations after finding some unusual site listings.
Several storage cabinets allegedly appeared on the site priced between $10,000 and $15,000 and many were named after missing children.
The conspiracy suggests that these highly-priced cabinets are instead a cover for a human trafficking business.
As conspiracy theories began to circulate the internet, the posts in question vanished from the site.
Wayfair vehemently denies this accusation and any wrongdoing.
A spokesperson said in a statement, “There is, of course, no truth to these claims. The products in question are industrial grade cabinets that are accurately priced. Recognizing that the photos and descriptions provided by the supplier did not adequately explain the high price point, we have temporarily removed the products from the site to rename them and to provide a more in-depth description and photos that accurately depict the product to clarify the price point.”
The allegations also follow an employee walkout in 2019 where 500 members of staff walked out and protested over the company’s business involvement with immigration detention centres.