When Mia returned to her car after a long shift at the hospital, something odd caught her eye. A single penny was wedged snugly into the seam between her car door handle and the body of the vehicle. At first, she thought it was just a harmless prank or maybe a kid’s joke.

But the next day, she noticed the same thing—another penny, same exact spot.

Curious and slightly uneasy, she mentioned it to her friend Jared, a local mechanic. His face went pale.

“Mia,” he said, “this isn’t a joke. That’s a trick used by car thieves.”

Jared explained that thieves often wedge a coin into the door handle to prevent the central locking system from fully engaging. When the owner walks away thinking their car is locked, the door remains slightly ajar—just enough for a thief to slip in later without breaking anything or setting off alarms.

Shaken, Mia checked her car’s locks manually every time after that, and sure enough—one night she caught someone lurking near her vehicle. The would-be thief ran when she appeared, but not without leaving a final message—a single penny, again tucked into the handle, this time pressed deeper than before.

It was no longer just about theft. Now, it felt like a warning.

Mia reported the incident, upgraded her security, and moved her parking spot. But even now, every time she sees a penny lying on the ground… she wonders if it’s just spare change—or a sign that someone’s still watching.

⸻

Note: The penny-in-the-handle trick is a known tactic in some places for car theft, though it may not be common everywhere. Always manually check your doors are locked, especially if you notice anything unusual.