DALLAS — Halloween tricks started early on the internet.
A viral post claimed that in Nichols Hills, Okla., only children who live there are allowed to trick-or-treat in the community.
"Just a friendly reminder that your children must have a resident's lanyard to Trick or Treat in Nichols Hills," the apparent post claimed.
The post showed up on Facebook and Twitter.
Users quickly shared the screenshot along with their outrage at the idea that anyone who lived outside of Nichols Hills wouldn't be allowed to trick or treat there.
But, is it true? Let's Verify.
CLAIM: Is trick-or-treating in Nichols Hills, Okla. limited to residents only?
To find out whether this claim is true, we talked to Chief Steven Cox from the Nichols Hills Police Department.
Chief Cox said the viral post is false. Nichols Hills does not limit trick-or-treating to residents of the city. "Resident lanyards" aren't real.
"If there's one kid that doesn't get to trick-or-treat because their parents saw that post and believed it, that's disgusting," Chief Cox said.
Chief Cox said he's taken a few calls about the viral post.
"Just the thought of someone trying to ruin trick-or-treating for kids is wrong," Chief Cox said.
It's not known where the post originated or even if the Reddit post, itself, is real. Most of the posts getting shared on social media only include the screenshot.
One Facebook user who posted the screenshot and received dozens of comments and shares early Wednesday morning, deleted his post by Wednesday afternoon.
Chief Cox has concerns about how quickly misinformation gets shared online.
"You see it one place and then see it four or five places and you think it's true."
We can Verify the claim about trick-or-treating rules in Nichols Hills, Okla., is false.
Trick-or-treating is not limited to residents in Nichols Hills, Okla. No resident lanyards are required.
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