An Ohio man's Facebook post claiming that he was kidnapped went viral over night, but police say it was all a hoax.
Early Tuesday morning, Adam Hoover posted a message saying he'd been kidnapped and was in the trunk of his car in Harrison, Ohio.
"Please help me I'm in the trunk of my Ford Escort," he wrote in part. "They said they are going to kill my family please call 911 I don't want them to hear me ... Please please call. I don't want to die."
The hashtag #FindAdamHoover quickly made the rounds on Twitter and Facebook, and concerned citizens from all over the U.S. claimed they called Hoover's mom and several police departments in and around Harrison.
Less than two hours after Hoover's post, reports rolled in that he was safe. Later, WCPO reported that police charged Hoover with making false statements and deemed his story a hoax.
Local authorities haven't returned calls for comment by The Huffington Post.
Hoover, a local gay rights activist, said on his Facebook page -- which has since been set to private -- that he has appeared on local news to discuss LGBT issues and has organized marriage equality rallies in Ohio.
I really hope this isn't real. Gay rights advocate asks for help on social media after abduction: https://t.co/SIbB4Qe4om #FindAdamHoover
— elliot (@elliot_friar) March 3, 2015
Appears #LGBT & @Twitter communities (in part @TylerOakley) did remarkable good tonight helping share @h12adam abduction via #FindAdamHoover
— Keith Reeves (@reeveskd) March 3, 2015