Central Coast: ‘Woman screaming’ prank going viral but no report to police

Was it a creepy real life prank or an elaborate social media ruse? Either way the `woman screaming’ prank has sent shivers through Facebook users. Read the full post and decide for yourself.

Reports of people hearing a woman screaming for help along the Kincumber to Davistown foreshore walk, only for it to turn out to be a speaker hidden in bushes, has gone viral on social media. Picture: file

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It has all the hallmarks of a Hollywood thriller — a woman riding along a popular Central Coast cycleway with her three children hears a panicked female voice calling for help in the bushes.

She goes to investigate only to find the woman’s screams are coming from a hidden speaker and as she leaves with her kids, she just makes out the shape of two men hiding nearby.

That has been the report doing the rounds on social media after it was posted on a few community groups’ Facebook pages.

The popular walking track and cycleway is flanked in parts with dense bushland making it an ideal setting for the fake report. Picture: Facebook

It purports to be from a woman who was riding along the Kincumber to Davistown foreshore walk and the anonymous post said she “would really like to let others know that this is happening in our community”.

The woman said she reported the matter to police however Brisbane Water Duty Officer Chief Inspector Nigel Webber confirmed no such report had been received.

He said police were aware of the post gaining momentum on social media but “from what we’ve heard it’s possibly a hoax”.

The Kincumber to Davistown foreshore path is used by hundreds of people. Picture: Facebook

The post has prompted copycat reports of a similar thing happening at Patonga.

A number of concerned residents have urged people to “be careful” while others have questioned whether it was a sinister plot to lure unsuspecting good Samaritans into the bushes.

However the post is signed “name withheld” giving the report a cloak of anonymity and the other big omission eroding the story’s credibility is why the woman — or others who have reported similar incidents — never bothered to take the “hidden speaker” to police.

One of several questions about the report was why the woman — or others — did not take the speaker to police. (Picture staged as an example only)

READ THE FULL POST AS IT WAS SHARED TO VARIOUS COMMUNITY PAGES

Hi (name of group),

While it didn’t happen in Avoca, I know a lot of locals use the track and I would really like to let others know that this is happening in our community.

Yesterday afternoon, I was cycling with my 3 children along the Kincumber-Davistown track. We came to a section of the path that had bush/scrub on both sides (Saratoga/Kincumber – before the playground) and could hear a female voice, panicked and calling for help from the bushes.

We stopped and I stepped slightly in to the bush to see if I could help but couldn’t see anyone there. I called out to see if she was okay. There was no answer to my questions but just more chilling calls for help.

Just as I was about to walk further in to the bush to check, I worked out that the calls were actually coming from a hidden speaker. Before quickly leaving with my children, I could just make out two men (or older teens) hiding in the bushes. I contacted the police who said they would follow-up.

I don’t know whether this was a cruel prank or a plan to lure people in to the bushes. Either way, I just wanted to let others know that this is happening.

Name withheld