In recent years, warnings about predators marking vehicles to identify potential victims have spread across social media.

Although authorities claim these messages are just “urban legends,” it’s better to stay informed.

After a TikTok user encountered a troubling situation with a strange man in a parking lot, she now warns others about potential dangers.

Hailey West explains that after finishing her shopping, she returned to her car parked at the supermarket lot.

As she walked toward her car, a man approached her.
“This guy walked up to me and yelled, ‘Hey, what’s your name?’ I just ignored him and kept walking, but he kept following me.”

Ignoring him didn’t work, and he continued following her across the parking lot.

The man then came up to her car and said, “Go check out my car, it’s a Lexus, do you like it?” Hailey didn’t respond, as that would have revealed her car, although she believed he already knew it was hers.

Instead of getting in her car, Hailey crossed the street and waited until it felt safe to return.

When she approached her car, she noticed a water bottle sitting on the hood.

After her video went viral, a user warned her that there was a dark reason behind the bottle on her hood.

“This is a tactic used by thieves and kidnappers to make you leave your car. If something ends up on your car’s hood, just leave it there and drive off—it will fall off on its own.”