Vehicle thefts SURGED to 1.02 million in 2023 thanks to new hacks on keyless ... trends now
You might need to check your vehicle is where you parked it.
Vehicle thefts have risen since 2019 and reached a new peak of 1,020,729 cases last year, says the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), a watchdog.
California saw more thefts than any other state, with 208,668 vehicles reported stolen.
But Washington DC has it worse. For every 100,000 people, 1,150 vehicles were nabbed, more than three times the US average.
NICB boss David Glawe says thieves are simply getting better at cracking the keyless entry systems used nowadays.
Washington DC recorded a 64 percent jump in vehicle thefts last year, the NICB says
Car thieves hack keyless entry systems nowadays, as well as old-fashioned screwdrivers
They employ 'increasingly sophisticated methods' and 'advanced technology to bypass security systems,' he said.
'From keyless entry hacks to relay attacks on key fobs, perpetrators are exploiting vulnerabilities in modern vehicle security measures with alarming success rates,' Glawe added.
The findings show a surge in vehicle theft even as other types of crime are returning to more normal levels after pandemic bumps.
The increase is driven in part by groups of mostly juvenile offenders across the US who post 'how-to' videos on TikTok of themselves using screwdrivers and cables to start vehicles and go on joyrides.
Some styled themselves as the 'Kia Boyz,' after one of the makers targeted due to security vulnerabilities that were easy to exploit.
Crime expert David Glawe says thieves are simply getting better at hacking the car entry systems used nowadays
Washington DC's rate of vehicle thefts is three times the national average
Moment four teens crash stolen Kia and take off running down busy Minnesota highway, as the TikTok fueled 'Kia Boyz' craze swept the nation
Hybrid vehicles are often targeted by thieves, thanks to the precious metals in their catalytic converters that sell for
