Social Media Car Theft Challenge Hits Local Communities In Montco

LOWER MORELAND, PA — Police in this eastern Montgomery County community are issuing a warning to local residents and beyond about a viral challenge making its way around social media that purportedly encourages youngsters to steal cars.

The Internet vehicle theft challenge has started to hit neighborhoods in southeastern Pennsylvania, and police in places like Lower Moreland are telling residents to beware.

A report on Fox 29 says that young people typically target Kia and Hyundai models years 2011 through 2021, and reportedly use a USB cord in which to start up the vehicle before driving it away.

Apparently, the newer 2022 models have some type of new anti-theft technology that is supposed to help prevent these types of incidents, but police in Pennsylvania are warning individuals who own the older models to keep an eye on their vehicles as the social media challenge makes its way around the Internet.

The website Carscoops ran a piece stating that these types of thefts have been prevalent as of late in communities all across the United States.

Car owners are encouraged to lock their vehicles when not in use, and some police are now calling for folks to turn to an older technology, the Club device, that can help prevent theft. The Club gets locked to a vehicle's steering column and is designed to ward off would-be car thieves.