In recent times, there has been an increasing unease regarding potential predators tagging vehicles to identify possible targets, with these concerns gaining traction across social media platforms. Anecdotes suggest that these malicious tactics might involve placing plastic water bottles inside hubcaps, positioning them on car hoods, or affixing zip ties to door handles.

While these accounts may very well be modern-day folklore, it’s prudent to remain informed and vigilant.

A TikTok user has recently drawn attention to alarming situations, highlighting so-called “abductor tactics” following a disturbing encounter with an unfamiliar individual in a parking lot.

Haley West recounted her unsettling experience as she made her way back to her car after shopping at a Cincinnati grocery store.

As she approached her vehicle, a man shouted in her direction.

Visibly shaken, West took to TikTok to share her harrowing experience, stating, “I’m literally trembling right now because something bizarre just happened to me.” She recounted, “I’m pulling into this expansive parking lot after leaving Fresh Thyme. I ignored the man, but he continued to follow me. This guy was walking somewhat close to me, but not too close—yet you could feel his gaze on you as he walked. He shouted, ‘Hey, what’s your name?’ I just kept ignoring him.”

Despite her efforts to ignore him, the man persistently trailed her around the parking lot.

“The guy approached me, saying, ‘Come check out my car. It’s a Lexus. Do you like it?’” West refrained from engaging, sensing that any acknowledgment might confirm her association with the car.

West continued to wait until she deemed it safe to return to her vehicle, keeping her shopping bags in hand as she crossed the street.

When she reached her car, she noticed a water bottle strategically placed on the hood.

“I’ve never encountered anything like this before, so I can’t definitively say if the two incidents are connected or not,” she remarked. “But I knew I needed to get out of there.”

Just before mentioning “Harpers Point, Cincinnati,” West emphasized the importance of remaining aware of one’s surroundings, especially for women. “Stay alert, always.”

One of the viewers who saw West’s video, which quickly went viral, responded with a chilling revelation.

The viewer, in a video later taken down, explained a disturbing reason behind the bottle’s placement on her car’s hood.

Abductors and traffickers reportedly use this technique to lure victims out of their vehicles. The bottle, if left untouched, will eventually roll off the hood when the car is in motion, prompting the driver to stop and exit the vehicle.

Urban Myths or Genuine Threats?

The rise of such stories has led to a mix of skepticism and fear, as urban legends often do. When a narrative about a zip tie drug trap gained traction, the Michigan State Police issued warnings, urging the public not to believe everything they encounter online.

Lieutenant Brian Oleksyk, speaking with WILX10, likened these tales to a fusion of urban legends and scare tactics, emphasizing that their primary aim is to instill fear. “This isn’t how real criminals operate,” Oleksyk noted. “Strangers are rarely their targets.” He added that such myths only serve to delay the investigation of legitimate crimes. “We need to demonstrate that these are just baseless fabrications.”