STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — TikTok trends have ranged from the cute to the sometimes-dangerous and bizarre — including users running through their neighbors’ backyard fences like the Kool-Aid Man — but now the social media app’s latest trend has escalated to grand larceny auto.
The NYPD has posted a series of warnings on Twitter to alert Staten Islanders to the so-called “Auto Theft” challenge, which has gone viral on TikTok and other social media platforms.
According to police, the challenge involves exploiting vulnerabilities in Kia and Hyundai vehicles in which would-be thieves can bypass the ignition with the use of “common household items,” including an everyday USB cable.
The NYPD tweeted that the trend is “linked to a series of motor vehicle thefts[.]”
Police are suggesting that owners of such vehicles take to employing the use of a steering wheel lock to help deter possible theft.
According to another NYPD tweet, both Kia and Hyundai have updated current vehicle security software to combat the challenge, and owners of the aforementioned vehicles should contact the auto manufacturers to receive the free update.
All Kia and Hyundai vehicles manufactured after Nov. 1, 2021, already come with anti-theft immobilizers that prevent unauthorized moving or starting of the vehicle.
ATTORNEY GENERALS URGE RECALL
Last week, attorneys general in 17 states urged the federal government to recall millions of Kia and Hyundai cars because they are too easy to steal, a response to the sharp increase in thefts across the nation fueled by the viral social media challenge.
In Los Angeles, thefts of Hyundai and Kia cars increased by about 85% in 2022, now accounting for 20% of all car thefts in the city, according to the California attorney general’s office.
These social media-inspired thefts have often ended in tragedy, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration blaming the stolen car trend for 14 reported crashes and eight deaths. In October, a police…
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