Across the United States, police and sheriff departments are cautioning their communities about a viral prank that’s being labeled as both “foolish and potentially hazardous.” This trend, known as the “AI homeless man prank,” employs artificial intelligence to craft convincing images of a stranger either at someone’s doorstep or inside their home. These fabricated photos are then shared with family members or housemates, causing unnecessary alarm.

This phenomenon has prompted officers, such as those from the Fountain Police Department in Colorado, to respond swiftly to what they believe are genuine break-ins.

In one incident, the Fountain Police Department recounted how officers were dispatched following a 911 call from a concerned mother. “The officers were alerted to a burglary this morning after receiving a distress call from a mother worried about her daughter’s safety,” the department reported. “The mother explained to the 911 operator that she had received a text from her daughter claiming, ‘a strange man just entered the house asking to use the bathroom.'”

“(Officers) reported burglary this morning after a mother called 911 in fear of her daughter’s safety,” the Fountain Police Department said in a statement. “The mother told the 911 call taker she had received a text from her daughter saying, ‘some strange guy just walked into the house asking to use the restroom.’”

After her daughter didn’t answer texts or calls, she called 911. The department says “every available police officer” responded to the home and prepared to enter “however they could” after no one answered the door. 

The daughter did eventually answer and explained the prank. 

Law enforcement agencies say the prank can “cause panic, lead to dangerous or violent reactions” and more.

“Besides being in bad taste, there are many reasons why this prank is, to put it bluntly, stupid and potentially dangerous,” the Salem Police Department wrote in a statement. “This prank dehumanizes the homeless, causes the distressed recipient to panic and wastes police resources.”

Police encourage parents to talk to their children and family about the consequences of the trend, which could include fines and imprisonment for a false 911 call depending on city and state laws.