Police in Sanford, Maine, say the attempted abduction of two girls was a hoax.
It had been reported earlier to police by two 10-year-old girls on Tuesday that a man tried to get them into his van on High Street.
They said the man grabbed one of them by the shirt, but they were able to run away.
After talking to the girls in separate interviews, investigators said they revealed they made up the entire story.
The girls told police they were mad at someone, but didn't offer any further explanation as to why they lied about the attempted abduction.
