In February of 2018, a woman in the Australian city of Queanbeyan claimed that a stranger had visited her home. This mysterious woman, who was unknown to the young mother, had come to inspect her house and her two children. She claimed to be an FACS caseworker, but - as this small suburb outside of Canberra would soon learn - this was not the case.

This story hearkens back to the first half of the 1990s, when similar stories broke out across the United Kingdom. From Sheffield to the northern tip of Scotland, worried parents claimed that strangers - pretending to be social workers - tried to either inspect or abduct their children.

But where did this urban legend originate? Well, if you believe some, it all began with a child abuse scandal from Cleveland in the mid-1980s...

 

Written, hosted, and produced by Micheal Whelan

Learn more about the podcast at unresolved.me

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Make sure to check out the podcast Criminology, hosted by my friends Mike Ferguson and Mike Morford

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Music Credits

Rotten Bliss - "Under The Branches"

Kay - "Call Of The Void"

Magna Ingress - "Anahata I"

Pulse Emitter - "Triangulum Galaxy"

Rec008 - "Contemplation"

ROZKOL - "Hell Slime"

Ailsa Traves - "Unresolved"