Off The Record
Lately, there have been stories circulating about women who find a bottle of water on their car or see “1F” scribbled outside their house, and they start worrying. Viral videos suggest that these women are being targeted by kidnappers and traffickers. The “1F” code stands for “one female,” indicating that the water bottle is a ploy to lure women out of their cars.
Recently, a video has been making the rounds online. It shows a woman filming a car with a wire attached to the door handle while it is parked in a parking lot. The caption on the video says, “WTF is this a joke? Someone better not get kidnapped.” The video then reveals another vehicle with a wire wrapped around its handle.
@ice.lemon.water We thought it was a joke at first until we found the second one 😳 #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #scary #viral #trending #BoseAllOut ♬ Scary – Background Sounds
In response, a man posted a TikTok video explaining that putting a zip-tie, wire, or thread on a car door is a common tactic used by those looking to abduct women. He describes it as “one of the oldest tricks in the book.” The wire is twisted around the handle to make it difficult to remove quickly, giving thieves and kidnappers the opportunity to strike.
He advises against removing the wire yourself and suggests returning to a safe location or an area with a high population density to seek help instead.
However, it’s important to note that there’s probably nothing to worry about. The “wire trick” was first mentioned in a Facebook post back in 2015. The police in the Canadian city where the post originated said that no kidnappings had occurred as a result of this tactic. Organizations fighting against human trafficking also haven’t recognized the “wire trick” as a trend.
The director of the University of Toledo’s Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute referred to the social media warnings as “ridiculous.” He described them as nothing more than an urban legend or scare tactics. Authorities also point out that traffickers primarily operate online and target individuals they know, rather than strangers.
