Perhaps recently, you might have come across alarming stories warning drivers about mysterious objects placed on their cars.

From water bottles to cash and even, rather humorously, a piece of cheese, these stories have become the talk of the town.

The sensational videos that accompany these tales suggest that encountering such items could signal a looming threat from traffickers or kidnappers, who might be lying in wait for you to attempt to remove these things, creating an opportunity for an abduction.

One of the latest viral videos features a woman in a parking lot, who recorded multiple cars with a wire coiled around their door handles.

With an ominous voiceover caption reading, “WTF is this a joke? Someone better not get kidnapped,” it is easy to see why this might alarm viewers.

There are claims suggesting that the woman’s concern was legitimate. The story goes that the placement of a wire, string, or zip-tie on a car door is a tactic frequently used by potential kidnappers.