The seemingly innocent car features making you a target of criminals
Drivers could be unwittingly putting a target on their backs by displaying seemingly innocent features on their cars.
Bumper stickers and personalised number plates may seem like harmless expressions of a driver's personality and lifestyle, but could actually help criminals looking to cash in, the Converse Police Department, based in the US state of Texas, said.
A large amount of personal information can be gathered from such items, particularly as they're often displaying loyalty to a driver's hometown, their hobbies, job or interests, according to the department's post, which was published in November but recently resurfaced online.
The department shared an insightful graphic on Facebook identifying how easy details about a person's life can be collected just from a few stickers or a number plate.
One highlighted was the popular "baby on board" sticker which, according to the police department, could indicate to criminals that you're "likely distracted and could be an easy target".
Another was a personalised number plate with the driver's name and their home state on it, which meant it was "easier to recall should someone want to keep track" of the car.
A sticker with high school branding and a message boasting about an "honour roll student" could tell a criminal where the child of the driver is every day during school hours, police say.
'People don't understand': Frustrated drivers vent fury over rarely-followed road rule
'It's really hard': Woman's powerful video after disabled parking confrontation
An individual's place of residence could also be exposed if drivers had a sticker of their hometown.
Animal lovers proud to show off their pets in sticker form might also be hand feeding opportunistic culprits information.
Similarly, a sticker depicting a dirt bike rider could indicate to thieves a driver has "expensive toys" in their garage, according to police.
Other examples police used included bumper stickers of a ballerina and a baseball, which could tell people "we'll be gone most evenings for practice".
Another sticker showing a mining crane next to the words "oilfield spouse" could indicate "my spouse is away often".
More than 800 people responded to the graphic expressing they would in future put fewer stickers on their car to avoid becoming a target to criminals.
"I’ve always thought the same thing when I see these stickers, like what are people thinking?" one person wrote.
"Especially the stickers with each family member with the names underneath," another said.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
