Thieves have found a new way of stealing cars and we are asking you to help us spread the word about their method and warn everyone to be more cautious.

News outlets have been writing of a “new” method thieves came up with when it comes to stealing people’s cars and we believe everyone should read this and see the video in order not to be fooled and left without their vehicle.

As it turns out, all the thieves need is a plastic bottle and patience. If you wonder how can a plastic bottle help in stealing someone’s car, wait until you see the video.

Allegedly, the first person whose car was stolen this way was a guy from Limpopo, a South African province bordering Botswana, Zimbabwe. After people learned of this trick, some Mexican guys recorded a video that shows how it’s done. It has been seen around 6 million times already but the police believes it not only warns others to keep a close eye on their vehicles, but it also helps thieves to learn how to master the method, too. So it looks the video does more harm than help, police says.

The first thing criminals do is target the car they want to steal. Afterwards, they place an empty plastic bottle on top of the car’s passenger side tire wedged in between the rubber and the wheel well. This does the trick because the car owners don’t take notice of it.

Once they enter the car and the engine starts running, a strange noise comes from the tires. That’s the bottle cracking under the tire, but of course the drivers have no idea what is really going on, so they get off the car to inspect the problem. While they do it, they are very likely to leave the car open, with the keys inside, too.

Once this happens, you already assume what the next step of the thieves is.

The video is in Spanish, but it’s pretty detailed and you don’t even need to speak the language in order to understand what the person is trying to tell you.

Seeing the vehicle open and running, the criminals simply jump inside it and start driving, leaving the owners in disbelief. So basically, your car can get stolen right in front of your own eyes, and you can do nothing about it.

If you believe that this only happens in Africa and Mexico, you may be wrong. It only takes for a criminal to see the video or hear of this trick in order to try it.

So, whenever you have your car parked, check it thoroughly before you enter it. Or simply never leave it open with the keys inside, even if you are near by.

If sharing this warning prevents even one single person from being fooled, it’s worth it. Please make sure you spread the word and warn your family and friends.