TikTok and other social media trends are thrusting performance crimes into the US spotlight

The sharp uptick in car thefts has been linked to viral videos, posted to TikTok and other social media platforms, teaching people how to start the cars with USB cables and exploit a security vulnerability in some models sold in the US without engine immobilizers, a standard feature on most cars since the 1990s preventing the engine from starting unless the key is present. — Reuters

NEW YORK: Jonnifer Neal’s Kia was stolen twice in one day – first from in front of her Chicago home and later from outside the mechanic shop where she took it to get fixed.

But Neal’s ordeal didn’t end there. After her car was recovered a month later, she was stopped by police twice coming home from work because a police error caused the Optima to remain listed as stolen. The same error resulted in officers waking her up at 3 a.m. another night. On yet another occasion, a swarm of officers pulled her over as she was traveling to Mississippi, handcuffing and placing her in the back of a cruiser for more than an hour.