A new TikTok challenge has arrived, and it is bad news for automobile owners in the United States. A number of automobiles have been taken around the country as a result of a risky challenge on the social networking app, which urges youths to steal a certain model of car using only a USB cable.
According to the authorities, the challenge’s primary aim is 2010-2021 Kia and Hyundai vehicles that still utilize mechanical keys rather than computerized systems. It makes automobiles more vulnerable to theft, and the challenge urges app users to take advantage of this by stealing them with the bare minimum of gear.
In Los Angeles, the theft of Kia and Hyundai vehicles has increased by about 85 percent in the previous year, while in portions of Florida, these vehicles account for roughly one-third of all stolen vehicles. According to CNBC, a similar pattern can be found in Chicago and many other cities around the country.
‘The viral nature of how this has spread on social media — it’s accelerated as we’ve never seen before. It takes the culprits 20 to 30 seconds. It is really as antiquated as you can imagine. The robbers are filming their every move and releasing it on TikTok with the hashtag ‘Kia Boys’. It has become a significant fad over time, and the hashtag currently has about 33 million views. ‘ In our county alone, [thefts of specific models] have increased by more than 800% in the previous month,’ Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart told CNBC. ‘There seems to be no end in sight’.
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