Wayfair Ensnared By Internet Conspiracy Theory

BOSTON —Wayfair, the Boston-based online furniture retailer, is the latest target of Internet conspiracy theorists.

The company started trending on Twitter Friday morning after users started speculating listings for $12,000 cabinets and $10,000 throw pillows were cover for Wayfair to sell "missing children." The theory was based on similarities between the product names and the names of missing children.

The problem was only compounded when Wayfair removed the listings conspiracy theorists were honing in on.

"There is, of course, no truth to these claims," Wayfair said in a statement. "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 site to rename them and to provide a more in-depth description and photos that accurately depict the product to clarify the price point."

Last year, hundreds of Wayfair employees walked out of company headquarters in Boston to protest the company's selling of furniture to contractors that furnish detention facilities for children seeking asylum along the United States-Mexico border. The company donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross in the wake of the protest but continued to defend its sale of 1,6000 mattresses and 100 bunk beds for use in the detention centers.

Dave Copeland writes for Patch and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).