Editing List of kidnappings (section)

== Faked kidnappings ==
*[[Tawana Brawley rape allegations|Tawana Brawley]], African-American teenager who claimed in November 1987 that she had been abducted, held prisoner and gang-raped by a group of four white men over a four-day period. A grand jury ruled that Brawley had fabricated her story and one of the men accused successfully sued her for defamation.<ref>{{cite news |first=Joseph P.|last=Fried|title=Hoping Brawley Thinks Of 'Damage She Caused'.|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A01E0DB1E3CF931A35750C0A9659C8B63|newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 2, 2003 |access-date=March 20, 2007}}</ref>
*[[Jules Croiset]], Dutch actor who faked being kidnapped by [[neo-Nazi]]s in 1987 in order to stir enough outrage to prevent a play he considered to be [[antisemitic]] from being performed.<ref name="Jules Croiset">{{cite news |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/30/world/dutch-actor-s-tale-exposes-a-nation-s-guilt-about-jews.html |title = Dutch Actor's Tale Exposes A Nation's Guilt About Jews |access-date = 17 March 2012 |work = The New York Times |first = James M. |last = Markham |date = 30 January 1988 }}</ref>
*[[Dar Heatherington]], [[Alberta]] city councillor who claimed to have been abducted in [[Montana]].<ref>{{Cite web |date = 12 March 2013 |title = Alberta man charged with public mischief over fake disappearance |url = https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/alberta-man-charged-with-public-mischief-over-fake-disappearance-1.1192511 |access-date = 6 March 2022 |website = CTVNews |language = en }}</ref>
*Audrey Seiler, a college student from Wisconsin who disappeared on March 27, 2004. She was found four days later after an extensive search. It was later revealed she had fabricated her "abduction".<ref>{{cite news |author=Harter, Kevin |date=April 3, 2005 |title=A year after student faked her own abduction, she's taking life 'step by step' |url=http://wcfcourier.com/news/breaking_news/a-year-after-student-faked-her-own-abduction-she-s/article_c2f54c7b-80de-5a7a-bd7c-370f700bdb6a.html |access-date=July 5, 2017 |newspaper=The Courier |agency=Knight Ridder Newspapers}}</ref>
*[[Jennifer Wilbanks]], American woman who alleged that she was kidnapped as an excuse for her running away from her own wedding in late April 2005, in the [[Runaway bride case]].<ref>Michelle Fabio (December 2009). "Runaway Bride? Why Georgia Isn't Letting Her Off the Hook…" LegalZoom. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-07. Lots of brides are overwhelmed with wedding preparations. And considering Wilbanks' nuptials were to be a 600 guest affair at the lavish Atlanta Athletic Club, complete with 28 bridal attendants, well, it's understandable, right?</ref>
*Quinn Gray, resident of [[Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida]] who disappeared over [[Labor Day]] weekend in 2009 and left a ransom note behind demanding $50,000 for her return. Was found four days later and revealed to have used the hoax for extortion in [[collusion]] with her boyfriend, Jasmin Osmanovic. Osmanivoc pleaded guilty, Gray [[No-contest clause|no contest]]; both sentenced to probation with fines to repay the cost of the investigation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2019/09/16/quinn-gray-saga-story-behind-ponte-vedra-housewife-who-faked-her-own-kidnapping/984758007/|title=Quinn Gray saga: The story behind the Ponte Vedra housewife who faked her own kidnapping|website=Florida Times-Union|date=16 September 2019|access-date=23 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/local/2011/02/11/quinn-gray-gets-seven-years-probation/10862270007/|title=Quinn Gray gets seven years probation|website=Florida Times-Union|date=11 February 2011|access-date=23 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/quinn-gray-kidnap-hoax/|title=Quinn Gray Kidnap Hoax?|website=CBS News|date=3 November 2009|access-date=23 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.grunge.com/978638/the-quinn-gray-kidnapping-hoax-was-like-a-real-life-gone-girl/|title=The Quinn Gray Kidnapping Hoax Was Like a Real Life Gone Girl|website=Grunge|date=24 August 2022|access-date=23 March 2023}}</ref>
*[[Somália (footballer, born 1984)|Somália]], Brazilian footballer who falsely claimed in 2011 that he had been kidnapped. It was proved that he was running late for a training session and tried to avoid a 40% wage cut for tardiness.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-12141153 |title = Brazil police say footballer Somalia faked his kidnap |date = 7 January 2011 |access-date = 31 July 2019 |work = BBC News }}</ref>
*[[Sherri Papini kidnapping hoax|Sherri Papini]], California woman whose 2016 disappearance became a national news story, later arrested and convicted of faking her abduction.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-62957627|title=Sherri Papini: US woman who staged her own disappearance sentenced to 18 months|work=BBC News|date=19 September 2022|access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref>
*Breana Harmon Talbott, 19-year-old white woman who falsely claimed to have been kidnapped and gang-raped by three black men. She confessed to faking her kidnapping two weeks later after inconsistencies in her story were highlighted and pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/breana-harmon-false-rape-jail_n_5a958207e4b03a8f3a22f390|title=No Prison For Texas Teen Who Lied About Being Raped By 3 Black Men|work=Huffington Post|date=27 February 2018|access-date=12 April 2024}}</ref>
*[[Carlee Russell disappearance hoax|Carlee Russell]], Alabama nursing student who disappeared for 49 hours in July 2023 and contacted police claiming she had been abducted. She later admitted to faking her abduction and was convicted of false reporting.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.al.com/news/2023/10/carlee-russell-found-guilty-in-faked-hoover-abduction-judge-recommends-year-in-jail-18000-restitution.html |title=Woman who faked abduction in Alabama found guilty |date=October 11, 2023 |work= |access-date=October 11, 2023}}</ref>