How to protect your car from the Kia boys TikTok trend? Police offers devices to safeguard Kia and Hyundai from thefts

If you are an avid TikTok user, you might have heard about the infamous Kia boys TikTok trend, which is directly connected to the theft of Hyundai and Kia vehicles nationwide. The challenge shows how easy it is to steal the particular brands' vehicles because of the security flaw with the cars.

While the original video has been deleted by TikTok, the trend has given rise to a challenge and the term, “Kia boys,” who are basically TikTokers who attempt to steal the Korean Automotive group's cars for joy rides and other purposes. However, the trend now has over 69.2 million views on TikTok, with several people creating videos on the same.

The Kia Boys trend, which is making people steal cars by hacking them is creating a panic-like situation for police in various states of the country. (image via TikTok)

Meanwhile, the police have now offered a device, that is called “club twin hooks” to protect their cars from the Kia boys TikTok trend. The police in Illinois is now offering a device to deter these thefts.

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What does the device given by Illinois police do to stop the theft of Kia and Hyundai cars?

In an interview with Fox 32, the Maywood Police Department officer Carmen Rivera talked about the device being given away by the local police department to put a stop to the stealing of cars. Ravera showed the anti-stealing steering device that gets hooked onto the steering wheel in a way that the thief is not able to drive the vehicle.

The device comes with keys, and can only be opened with them. At the same time, the officer also informed how people can get these “club twin hooks,” by visiting the Maywood Police Department and showing proof of being a Maywood resident, along with their car papers.

The Maywood Police Department gives away steering protectors that help with anti-theft. (image via Fox 32 News)

The officer also stated that these devices retail for $40-50, but the department has acquired a bunch of them through their budget to help people protect their cars from getting stolen.

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With thousands of cars stolen in the country, the police suspect the influence of the TikTok challenge

The Kia Boys TikTok trend shows how thieves are hacking cars, making it easier for them to steal them. While the initial few videos were shot in Milwaukee, the trend has now spread to the entire country.

As per the Wall Street Journal, more than 60 Kia cars were stolen in August 2021, and the number in one year grew to a whopping 600. At the same time, St. Louis reported that more than 48% of the vehicles were stolen in 2022 after the trend surfaced online.

Speaking of Chicago, more than 15,000 cars were stolen in 2022, out of which 3,000 of them were stolen in October alone.

Many TikTok users are responding to the challenge by just stealing, or breaking into the car for “fun,” with no real motive of theft. The authorities have reported that Kias built between 2011 and 2021 are at high risk, whereas Hyundai vehicles manufactured between 2016 and 2021 are at risk of theft as well.

As per the trend, thieves generally use the car’s ignition key tumbler and start it with a USB charging cable instead of the key. However, for this, they also need a car that has a traditional steel key to start the car, and not the start button.

Furthermore, Buffalo Police commissioner, Joseph Gramaglia, claimed that the cars are very “easy” to steal. The commissioner said:

“You can look up the information that’s been put out there. There are numerous cities across the country that are looking at looking into or have filed lawsuits against Kia because of the ease that they are able to steal these cars."

Thus, it is always best to avoid engaging with such trends and report them as soon as one spots them on social media. This is also imperative as these challenges give rise to crime, and innocent people might fall prey to the wrongdoings of a few notorious social media users.