The Viral ‘Kia Boys’ Car Theft Trend That’s Going Viral on Instagram

Kias and Hyundais are being stolen in America at an alarming rate. Using a screwdriver and a USB cable, it’s trivially easy to steal one. Kia and Hyundai blame social media, but the problem is so overwhelming that several cities are suing the car manufacturer for creating a crime epidemic by electing not to build a $100 anti-theft device into some models.This week on Cyber, Motherboard Reporter Aaron Gordon stops by to walk us through what’s really behind the viral crime wave.‘Kia Boys’ Trend Fueling Nationwide Crime Wave Is Running Rampant on InstagramWhat It’s Like To Own the Cars That Became a Viral Sensation To StealKia and Hyundai Blame TikTok and Instagram For Their Cars Getting StolenU.S. Cities Have a Staggering Problem of Kia and Hyundai Thefts. This Data Shows It.We’re recording CYBER live on Twitch. Watch live during the week. Follow us there to get alerts when we go live. We take questions from the audience and yours might just end up on the show. Subscribe to CYBER on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What this episode covers

Kias and Hyundais are being stolen in America at an alarming rate. Using a screwdriver and a USB cable, it’s trivially easy to steal one. Kia and Hyundai blame social media, but the problem is so overwhelming that several cities are suing the car manufacturer for creating a crime epidemic by electing not to build a $100 anti-theft device into some models.This week on Cyber, Motherboard Reporter Aaron Gordon stops by to walk us through what’s really behind the viral crime wave.‘Kia Boys’ Trend Fueling Nationwide Crime Wave Is Running Rampant on InstagramWhat It’s Like To Own the Cars That Became a Viral Sensation To StealKia and Hyundai Blame TikTok and Instagram For Their Cars Getting StolenU.S. Cities Have a Staggering Problem of Kia and Hyundai Thefts. This Data Shows It.We’re recording CYBER live on Twitch. Watch live during the week. Follow us there to get alerts when we go live. We take questions from the audience and yours might just end up on the show. Subscribe to CYBER on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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This episode is 1 hour and 11 minutes long.

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This episode was published on October 20, 2023.

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