A new mean by which kidnappers/sex traffickers are luring people in has shaken up the internet recently. There are new videos on social platforms warning others on what to avoid to stay safe when alone or in their cars.

Sex trafficking has become a growing epidemic since the 1800s. The first movement against sex trafficking occurred in England, led by Josephine Butler from 1828 to 1906. More and more, throughout the years, sex trafficking has become one of the most prevalent forms of human trafficking in the United States. Not only that, but most people have no idea the risk that they could be put in by not knowing what to do if faced by an attacker.

Asian Women that fought against the West Slave Trade. One of the most common ways a sex trafficker/kidnapper could attack a person is by attacking them in their car. It is easy for people to feel comfortable walking to and from their vehicles, but that small chance that someone could be after them still exists.

Recently on the internet, there have been widespread videos that show strange items found on people’s cars that are known to be distractors. In the time people take to look at what the distractors are, someone has attacked them or attempted to. In 2017, Ashley Haracre in Michigan experienced one of these distracting techniques.

Ashely had noticed that there was a flannel tightly wrapped around her windshield wiper that she would have to remove to be able to drive. It was then that she saw a running car not that far away from her. Luckily, she quickly drove away to a secure place and took the flannel off.

“Luckily, I knew better than to remove the shirt with cars around me,” she wrote, “so I drove over to a place where I was safe and quickly rolled down my window and got the shirt off,” said Ashley.

Other tactics that traffickers commonly use include using a honey bottle, which the put upside down on the roof of the car, so when the driver gets to their car, they have to take a while to remove the honey carefully. This gives the kidnapper time to attack. Another tactic is putting zip-lock ties around the side mirrors of a car to “mark” the vehicle, and it stays as a reminder that the driver is alone.

Now that more kids are starting to get their licenses, officers advise people to drive away if they see these signs quickly and to check the back seats of their cars to make sure no one suddenly comes out and attack. They also tell people to travel with one or two more people if possible, to avoid situations like these, and to stay safe and alert at all times.