Recent online stories are causing concern as women report finding water bottles on their cars or strange markings outside their homes. Viral videos suggest these could be tactics by kidnappers and traffickers. One video shows a car with a wire on the door handle, with the caption, “WTF is this a joke? Someone better not get kidnapped.” Another vehicle with a wire handle is also shown.

A man on TikTok claims that wires, zip-ties, or threads on car doors are used to abduct women, making it harder to remove quickly and giving criminals time to strike. However, this “wire trick” was first mentioned in a 2015 Facebook post, and Canadian police confirmed no kidnappings resulted from it.

Experts also dismiss these warnings. The director of the University of Toledo’s Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute calls them “ridiculous” and likens them to urban legends or scare tactics. Authorities highlight that traffickers usually operate online and target individuals they know.