Have you heard about the current stories spreading online?

Women are becoming concerned after discovering random water bottles on their cars or unusual drawings outside their homes.

Viral videos reveal that these are strategies employed by kidnappers and traffickers to target women.

The code “1F” is thought to mean “one female,” and the water bottle is used as bait to entice women out of their cars.

In one such video, a woman is photographing a car with a wire hooked to the door handle in a parking lot. The caption says, “WTF, is this a joke? Someone better not be kidnapped.” To everyone’s surprise, a second car with a wire wrapped around its handle appears.

In response to these disturbing videos, a man produced a TikTok video explaining that attaching a zip-tie, wire, or thread to a car door is a typical strategy employed by individuals attempting to abduct women. He describes it as “one of the oldest tricks in the book.” The wire is coiled around the handle to make it difficult to remove quickly, allowing thieves and kidnappers to strike.

However, it is critical to keep things in perspective. The “wire trick” was initially referenced in a Facebook post in 2015. Canadian police, where the post originated, acknowledged that no kidnappings had occurred as a result of this strategy. Organizations combatting human trafficking have also failed to detect the “wire trick” as a problem.

The director of the University of Toledo’s Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute described the social media warnings as “ridiculous.” He feels they are just urban legends or scare tactics. Authorities also underline that traffickers typically operate online and target people they know rather than strangers.