A 7-month-old boy was taken in custody by south German authorities after they found out his parents posted and ad on eBay offering to sell him for one euro ($1.57), The Associated Press reported.

The infant is currently in the care of youth services in the southwestern Allgaeu region, said Peter Hieber, a spokesman for police in the Bavarian town of Krumbach.

Although the 23-year-old mother insisted that the posting was just a joke, authorities started an investigation into possible child trafficking. The baby’s 24-year-old father is also involved.

Police did not release the identities of the parents yet. The eBay ad was posted as it follows:

"Offering my nearly new baby for sale, as it has gotten too loud. It is a male baby, nearly 28 inches (70 cm) long and can be used either in a baby carrier or a stroller."

The ad was posted for just two and a half hours on the site and no body offered to buy the infant, police said. The ad was deleted by eBay and the site helped police track the parents who apparently wanted to sell their baby.

Several people called authorities to report the unusual ad. The opening bid was 1 euro, but there were no bidders.

"It was only a joke. I just wanted to see if someone would make an offer. They've taken my son to hospital and I've got to take psychiatric tests next week," the mother said according to the German newspaper Bild.