Everything is not as it appears. When you read a sign that says, “Beware of Attack Dogs” do you rattle the gate just to see if a couple of curious canines are in attack mode? Do you grab hold of an electrical fence because you believe that the “High Voltage” sign was put there as a practical joke by the property owner? Do you have to jump into a pool to test the veracity of its depth marker? Most people would answer, “No.” Why take a chance? The makers of decoy car alarms are counting on just those sentiments.

We’ve all seen the stickers on the car window with a picture of a cobra, with fangs dripping poison or the one of the snarling Doberman pincher. Oooh, scary. These stickers are meant to send a message that this car is protected by an alarm system. What about that steadily blinking red light that you spot through the window? Is that a car alarm, or is it just a decoy?

The fact is you (the nosy passerby), won’t know until you test it. Nor will a car thief know if it’s for real or not. Alarm stickers and cigarette lighter plug-in blinking lights are simply a low-tech alternative to real car security systems. Their effectiveness remains to be seen, and certainly depends on how authentic they appear and how gullible is the potential car thief.