The NYPD is giving away 500 Apple AirTag trackers to auto enthusiasts for free as part of the fight against the growing personal vehicle theft. Portal reports Border.
The city’s mayor attributed the rise in kidnappings to a viral TikTok challenge from the so-called “Kia Boyz.” Last summer, multiple videos were posted on the platform showing how several car thieves used vulnerabilities in Kia and Hyundai cars to start keyless. After that, the above brands released a free update to close the vulnerability, but this does not mean that all drivers without exception have installed the necessary patch.
“What’s happening right now is directly related to content on social networks,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
According to the New York Police Department, 966 Kia and Hyundai vehicles have been stolen from the streets of the city since the start of 2023. For comparison, the figure for the whole of last year was 819 cars. With the help of the campaign for the free distribution of AirTag signs, law enforcement aims to teach citizens to use modern technologies to protect their own cars. Apple’s AirTag trackers are used to search for lost items – if stolen, their location can be determined using the geolocation function on your smartphone.
Formerly socialbites.ca we talked about ithow scammers started using old Nokia phones to steal cars.