A Vancouver knife salesman worries that his company’s ability to hire summer help has dried up because of a years-old internet hoax claiming human trafficking rings are using job interviews to lure young people.

Tony Carlston, founder of Cutco Closing Gifts in Vancouver, said he had a class of 10 new hires scheduled to come in for training when he started seeing a well-shared Facebook post claiming Vector, the marketing arm of the Cutco direct-sales cutlery company, was drugging water to tranquilize and then abduct people.

“Our local recruiting office had 10 people set for training, and nobody shows up,” he said.

The original sharer, as he saw it, also listed herself as an employee at Skyview High School.

The woman is not listed on Skyview High School’s directory, and Carlston said he checked with the school principal, who didn’t recognize her.