Photo: Dave Basner
More often than not, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is, so if you walk up to your car and find cash just waiting for you on the windshield, be aware that it isn't your lucky day - in fact, it might be the total opposite.
That's because some car thieves are using a new method to get your vehicle, and it involves leaving money on the cars they want to take. It might be $20s or perhaps even a $100 bill, but chances are the money is fake, though unsuspecting victims' reactions to it won't be. As thieves sit and wait, the hope is that a driver will get in their car, start it and at that point see the money and hop out to investigate while the car is running. That's when the thieves jump into the vehicle and take it.
It might sound like an absurd ploy to steal a car, but there are reports of it happening across the country - everywhere from Wisconsin to Maryland, Ohio and Georgia. It's actually happened so much in one Georgia town that the sheriff's office had to put out a warning about it on Facebook.
Car thieves have definitely gotten more creative too. Money isn't the only tactic they are using, they might put a bottle of water by a car's tire or on its hood, and they could even use a slice of cheese. As for why they are going with these more unique techniques - it's because there's no weapon involved in them so if they do get caught, the charges they face won't be as serious.
So if you do find money on your windshield, your best bet is to lock your doors and drive off or not even get in your car and instead just walk away from it, and whatever you do, call the police.