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The New York City Police Department is giving away 500 free Apple AirTags to combat rising car thefts linked to the TikTok thieves known as the Kia Boyz. Viral videos circulated last summer, showing criminals exploiting a flaw in the Hyundai and Kia cars that allowed vehicles to be started using a USB cable and other tools. To prevent such thefts, the AirTags can be hidden in cars to track them and alert owners. The tags emit an audible signal to prevent tracking and City officials have urged people to report any abductions to law enforcement themselves and provide information from the device.
The New York City Police Department is giving out free AirTags to combat the rise in car thefts
The New York City Police Department has begun giving away 500 free Apple AirTags to combat the rising number of car thefts.
At a press conference, Mayor Eric Adams said there was a direct link between the rise in vehicle thefts and viral videos from the TikTok thieves known as the Kia Boyz. The attackers appeared on the short video platform last summer.
In the videos, criminals demonstrate how to exploit a flaw in Hyundai and Kia cars that allows the car to be started using a USB cable and other readily available tools.
Since the summer of last year, the US authorities have observed an increase in the theft of cars, in particular, Hyundai and Kia brands. In February, manufacturers began providing free software updates to millions of affected cars. However, not all vehicle owners turned to dealerships for this.
In 2023, New York law enforcement reported 966 stolen Hyundais and Kias, which is 819 more than in all of 2022. Since the beginning of the year, about 4,500 cars have been stolen in the city.
Adams has already promoted the idea of using technology in the city’s police force to catch criminals, which has led to outrage among New Yorkers. Last month, the mayor approved the return of Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot to the city’s law enforcement service.
AirTags are usually used to track wallets, suitcases and keys, but the tags have already proven themselves well for detecting stolen cars. City officials are urging residents to hide the AirTag in their cars to make it harder for criminals to find the device, as the tag’s security feature can alert a thief. AirTag emits an audible signal to prevent the tag from being used for tracking.
The NYPD will not have access to the location of the AirTags being distributed. Adams says people should report the abduction to law enforcement themselves and provide them with information from the device.
In April alone, AirTag helped locate stolen cars in Washington, Texas, and Scotland.
