Authorities Blame TikTok ‘Kia Challenge’ For Spike In Car Theft Cases Across The Nation

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Coming up behind the infamous Blackout Challenge and Orbeez Challenge, law enforcement officials are sounding the alarm on a new TikTok trend: the Kia Challenge.

This trend involves the hotwiring of a Kia or Hyundai, and people are able to accomplish this with a mere cellphone charger.

Authorities note that vehicles vulnerable to the technique being used by thieves specifically include 2011-21 Kia models and 2015-21 Hyundai models that lack a push-to-start button, according to KETV Omaha.

Theyre finding a way to bypass the ignition of the car through the steering column, and its not sophisticated. Its a mechanical hack, Cody Lance, a detective with the St. Petersburg Police Department, said, according to FOX 13.

Its quite alarming. Our numbers have gone up significantly, and its got our attention, Lance continued. Theyre looking for three things: theyre looking for a ride, theyre looking for money and theyre looking for a gun. They get those three things, eventually get arrested and then the cycle continues all over again.

Harmon Handy is one person who was directly impacted by this trend, as his Kia Sorrento was stolen earlier this month and left with $7,500 in damage.

[I] thought you needed that key fob to start it and apparently you dont, Handy told the outlet. The most frustrating part about it is just how pointless it is, that the only reason to do it is just to grab the car and trash it.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, this trend began in Milwaukee and eventually spread to other parts of the nation.

A group known as the Kia Boys is believed to have popularized the trend of hotwiring Kias and Hyundais as the squads antics started making rounds on YouTube this past spring.

They get, you know, street cred, and a little bit of attention, Cody Lance noted, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

As for what people can do about the Kia Challenge, Lance urges people to take caution and lock their car doors.

They look for cars that are unlocked, he said. Its just much easier its just simply a matter of convenience.

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