Just imagine: you recently bought a used 2021 KIA and are excited about your new purchase. You get home, lock it up, and head inside for the night. The next morning rolls around, and you head out for work, and it’s gone from your driveway. How can that be possible? Well, TikTok. You can thank TikTok.
If you’re unfamiliar with TikTok, it is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts a variety of short-form user videos–from pranks, stunts, tricks, jokes, dances, and more.
Viral videos on TikTok and YouTube of the so-called “Kia Challenge” show people using USB cables to start these vehicles. In particular, Kia models from 2011 to 2012 and Hyundai models from 2015 to 2021 and older. These models require a key to start the ignition. Almost all of the suspects in St. Petersburg have been between the ages of 14 and 17.
Since July 11th, 23 out of 56 stolen cars in St. Petersburg have been Kia’s or Hyundai’s.
Car thefts can be dangerous, even deadly, as inexperienced or unlicensed drivers are sometimes motivated by the desire to drive recklessly and impress their friends rather than to sell the cars.
Stay alert. Keep your car doors locked when you head inside for the night, and never interfere with a person attempting to break into your car. If you happen to witness it from inside, call 911; your life is more precious than a car.
If you are a victim of an injury due to attempted car theft, contact us to schedule a free legal consultation.
Perenich Law Injury Attorneys
Address: 25749 US Highway 19 N Suite 200, Clearwater, FL 33763
Phone: 727-500-2166
(727) 669-2828
