http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm scroll down for crime / 100,000 people.

Nextdoor tends to attract people who worry about anything and everything, and who report anyone they don't recognize (or just don't like) as being suspicious.

There are a lot of people who literally make up stories about being robbed, having kids abducted, having cancer, etc., because they crave the attention. (One example that came straight to mind: https://idlewords.com/2012/09/no_evidence_of_disease.htm)

Social media, including NextDoor, is full of that.

Yes, bad thing happen in real life. But in the hyper media only bad things happen. Don’t let that filter out reality for you.

I think you just replied to one of those "attempted kidnappings" from Nextdoor's point of view.

If someone's son is abducted, he may post that it occurred; if not, he will remain silent. This is like drawing actuarial tables from claimants only.

Child abductions are an awful thing. I also feel like living in fear is no way to live. You can't learn street smarts without a little practice. There has to be a balance between 'it won't happen to me, go nuts kids' and 'kids need constant supervision'. I try to teach them to be aware and watch out. There are limits. I leave Nextdoor to my nutty neighbors.

Nextdoor is full of paranoid nutcases

Yea, learning more about all the crazy paranoid assholes in my neighborhood from their NextDoor postings would certainly give me pause in letting my kid play near them without my being ready to intervene.