Criminals have launched a disturbing new trick, and everyone who owns a car needs to know about it. The trick is so effective that it is being used in numerous countries, and we need help spreading this as much as possible so we can expose what they are doing.

If you see a plastic bottle on the tire of your car, you are likely the target of a thief who is watching nearby. Carjackers are using this as a method to steal vehicles, and cases of this strategy being used were first reported in Limpopo, South Africa. The next incidents were reported in Mexico, where a YouTube video went viral detailing this horrifying criminal strategy.

First, the criminals spot a car they want to target, then they quickly place an empty plastic bottle on top of the car’s passenger side tire, wedging it in between the rubber and the wheel well, where the driver is not likely to spot it. When the driver returns to their vehicle, they do not realize there is any problem until they start it and try to move. As the wheels turn, the empty plastic bottle begins to crackle as it’s smashed by the moving tire.

When the driver jumps out to check what the noise is, they will typically leave their car on, giving the thieves the opportunity to jump in and steal it. In other cases, they just run into the car to steal the driver’s valuables, but either way, the driver has put themselves at risk.

Though the video below is in Spanish, it’s easy to understand what is happening. Please SHARE this story so your friends and family can be warned about this new criminal technique!