An unusual TikTok challenge causes the theft of two car brands to skyrocket by 767%

In the networks they explain how to start cars manufactured between 2011 and 2021 with a phone battery or a USB cable.

In recent days it was reported that South Korean companies Hyundai and Kia will call for review 281,447 vehicles in the United States to address a defect affecting the trailer hitch system that can lead to short circuits and fires.

However, that was not the news that put both brands in the center of the scene, but how their vehicles are the target of multiple thefts.

It is that a challenge that has gone viral in TikTok in recent months has caused a 767% increase in the number of Hyundai and Kia vehicles stolen in Chicago, informed the Police Department of that American city.

Kia vehicles, one of the brands that has suffered the most from the TikTok challenge.

According to local media reports, a series of videos published on the social network show Internet users how to start the cars of these brands. using a phone charger or a USB cable instead of the dongle.

This situation, say the authorities, has led several young people to put into practice the techniques shared on the Internet. “Thefts of this vehicle are a crime of opportunity and can affect any member of the community,” the statement read.

According to official data, between July 1 and the first half of August 2021, 74 thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles, while for the same period this year the figure is 642, which represents an increase of 767%.

Hyundai is the other brand that has been suffering exponentially from the theft of its models.

“This is one extremely worrying trend and the public needs to know so they can be vigilant and protect themselves,” Cook County Sheriff, Tom Dartgiven the growing number of stolen cars.

The authorities report that this practice has been spreading throughout various states of the country, the teens and young adults those most likely to commit this crime.

Earlier this month, a group of boys between the ages of 14 and 17 stole a 2021 Kia Forte in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and led police on a highway chase with patrol cars and a helicopter. The car crashed when the driver tried to dodge a pole. They were all arrested.

The issue occurs due to the lack of an immobilizer system on some of the pre-2022 model year vehicles, primarily 2011-2021 Kias and 2015-2021 Hyundais equipped with ignitions that require mechanical keys.