🚗 If You See a Penny in Your Car Door Handle, This Is What It Might Mean

3. Lock Bumping or Slim Jims

  • Outdated but still used in some areas to bypass mechanical locks
  • Mostly affects older vehicles without electronic immobilizers

✅ Modern cars are much harder to breach this way.

✅ What to Do If You Find a Coin in Your Door

Stay calm and follow these steps:

  1. Remove the coin carefully
    • Use tweezers or gloves if needed
  2. Inspect the lock and handle
    • Look for scratches, dents, or tampering
  3. Test your locks and key fob
    • Make sure everything works normally
  4. Check inside the car
    • Ensure nothing is missing
  5. Report suspicious activity
    • If you see someone loitering near parked cars, notify security or police

📸 Pro tip: Take a photo before removing anything — useful if you need to report it.

❌ What NOT to Do

❌ Assume every coin = attempted theft
Can cause unnecessary panic
❌ Share unverified “crime alerts” online
Spreads misinformation
❌ Leave valuables visible
Invites actual theft
❌ Ignore signs of forced entry
Scratches, broken glass, or malfunctioning locks need attention