A recent warning from police about a popular back-to-school trend has recently gone viral on social media. The post is meant to help parents shield their child's private information and even keep them safe in the rare case of an attempted abduction.

Child Safety Warning

Police in Carver County, Minnesota made a Facebook post that has since been shared widely in the Hudson Valley. It involves one of the most popular back-to-school trends in recent memory: the "first day of school" photo. Authorities warn that the most common version of this photo may put your child at risk.

Facebook/Carver County Sheriff's Office
Facebook/Carver County Sheriff's Office
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Back to School Photos in the Hudson Valley

The "reenactment" photo the sheriff's department posted using officer Kenzie B. showed the "student" holding the all-to-familiar placard advertising all the stats that many other parents enjoy sharing about their child's first day of school.

It included such information as the child's name, school, grade, and even their teacher's name. The sheriff's department warned that sharing this private information on such a public platform like Facebook could lead to dangerous consequences.

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"Back-to-school photos often reveal personal information about your child", they warned. "These can all be used by predators and scammers... No matter your privacy setting or friends, it’s best to keep personal information to a minimum". The reactions, however, were mixed.

The Public Responds to Safety Warning

"Great info! Thank you for helping us to be safe!" said one grateful commenter. "Is this actually a problem? Kids being taken because their parents posted the left photo? I have my doubts," posted a more skeptical Facebook user.

Others were just more fascinated with the "stats" on the example photo. "Have a great year in 19th grade! Lol," joked one woman.

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