DRIVERS have been urgently warned about a terrifying new car theft method – here are the signs to look out for.
Expert mechanic Scotty Kilmer urged drivers to call the police if they notice one bizarre trick.
An expert mechanic gave drivers an urgent warning over a new car theft method
Youtube /@Scotty KilmerCriminals place a plastic bottle in the wheel arch to create a crunching noise and draw motorists out of the vehicle[/caption]
In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Scotty explained how an everyday item could be an indicator of a dangerous crime.
He said: “Here’s an auto scam that I didn’t know about.
“[Thieves] use a plastic bottle, they wedge it on your tyre.
“When you drive forwards or backwards, depending on where they put it, you hear a crunching sound.”
Scotty told viewers that this is intended to make drivers think they have run something over and draw them out of the vehicle.
When they hop out to see what made the noise, the crooks who set the whole thing up can hop into the cabin and drive away.
He advised car owners to keep their windows rolled up and use their rear-view mirror to check what they supposedly ran over to protect against “sleazeball”.
If you do have to get out of the car, make sure not to leave the keys in the ignition and, as a rule of thumb, always lock the car when you get out of it, even if just for a few moments.
Scotty added: “Don’t fall for any of these scams and let anyone get in your car.
“You’ve got to have common sense.”
Social media commenters were stunned by the ingenious crime.
One wrote: “It’s sad how people try to scam others, and it’s getting worse.”
Another added: “Unfortunately Scotty, common sense isn’t too common these days.”
And a third said: “Scammers and hazards everywhere.”
It comes after new figures showed that UK police forces are failing to solve three in every four car thefts.
Meanwhile, a family was left terrified when they were brake-checked at 70mph on a busy road, but the cops said they couldn’t do anything.