New method of car thieves. Netizen warns
9:25 AM EDT, October 14, 2023
Thieves are increasingly using methods based on manipulating human empathy. Proof of this is one of the latest tactics encountered by a woman from Lower Silesia, Poland. A stroller left in the middle of the road at night is not an accidental element here.
It is not easy to count all the techniques that people resort to in order to illegally acquire someone else's property. Recently, the most commonly used method is the so-called suitcase method, although thieves do not shy away from other ways either. Some of them aim to take advantage not only of our absent-mindedness and gullibility, but also our natural instinct for sympathy.
A woman who was traveling on a road between Lubkow and Iwinami in Warta Boleslawiecka municipality encountered such a situation a while ago. In her post on social media, she warned others of similar situations. When she was driving at night, she noticed a stroller standing in the middle of the road. This immediately aroused her suspicions and probably because of this, she avoided an unpleasant encounter with a thief.
Criminals, using this method, aim to evoke sympathy from the driver for a small child that could theoretically be in a stroller. At that moment, the person may leave the car, leaving not only a phone and other personal belongings in it, but also the car keys in the ignition with the engine running. This is exactly the moment the thief, hiding nearby, for example in the bushes or behind a lamppost, is waiting for. Before we realize what's happening, the criminal drives away with our car, taking with him everything that was inside.
It is important to remember that in any unusual situation that requires leaving the car, special caution should be taken. We should always turn off the engine, and take the keys and personal items with us. However, sometimes, like in the situation described above, it's better not to leave the vehicle at all, even if the sound of a crying child is coming from a stroller. It might just be a recording, meant to make the situation seem more credible.
It's safer to keep a proper distance, remember where the cart is located, and notify the appropriate services. Otherwise, we might be left without a car, documents, and phone, in the middle of the night, in a remote area. It's an experience that none of us would want to go through.