They have targeted unsuspecting motorists
Rear View Of Women Driving Car On Street In City. (stock)
Motorists have been cautioned “not to fall for” an unsettling “trap” whilst behind the wheel and are urged to keep their windows and doors secured.
Driving on Ireland’s roads presents inherent risks, and should you find yourself in any kind of collision, remaining composed and protected is vital.
According to the experts, you must “stop at the scene” as it’s “a legal requirement to stop as soon as it is safe to do so”. You should switch off your engine and turn on your hazard lights, then check whether you or your passengers have suffered any injuries.
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Whilst it’s essential to “exchange details with anyone involved” and “provide your insurance details if requested”, there are circumstances where exiting your vehicle might seem dangerous.
Genevieve, who posts content online under the username Fitty Foodlicious, regularly shares “public safety tips for women” with her 59,000 Instagram followers.
In a recent video, she outlined a “bait trick” which could indicate a scam – or potential danger. The American content creator received a phone call from her friend who was “panicking” after an incident on the road.
She had been travelling home from work and had halted at traffic lights in a “quiet neighbourhood” when a “dark car pulled up behind her” and “very lightly tapped her bumper”. Her friend instinctively felt something wasn’t right. Speaking in an Instagram video, Genevieve explained: “This is potentially a human trafficking trick where they come up behind you, they tap your bumper, and then they try to get you out of your car and then they grab you.”
Her friend recognised this “bait trick” and glanced in her rearview mirror, noticing two men in the car behind, dressed in dark clothing but, considering it was night-time, “she couldn’t make out their faces”.
The men were “motioning for her to get out of her car” and gesturing for her to “roll down her window” but she only cracked it open slightly.
She could hear one of the men shouting, “Miss, we accidentally hit your bumper, you’ve got to get out” and insisting they needed to report the incident.
Feeling uneasy, the woman chose to drive off – but she didn’t return home in case they were following her. Instead, she headed to a nearby business with a “super busy” car park and went inside where she promptly called the police. Upon inspecting her vehicle, she discovered no dent or any sign of damage whatsoever.
Genevieve added: “I cannot for certain say that these two men were doing this to my friend tonight but I can say with certainty that this has been happening and it is a bait trick – whether they’re trying to bump your car in order to rob you and take your purse, or to do something worse.” In her caption, she emphasised: “If something similar happens to you, the best thing you can do is lock your doors and windows, do not get out of the car, and drive to a safe place, but whatever you do do not go home.
“You do not want to get yourself in a situation where they follow you home and they know where you live. The best thing you can do is go to a public place, go inside a business, and file a police report.”
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