LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department warned of an increasingly popular social media challenge targeting Kia and Hyundai branded cars for theft affecting people in the Las Vegas valley Monday.
1,485 cars have been reported stolen in Metro jurisdiction since the beginning of 2023 alone, according to the department's crime tracker, and Kia and Hyundai thefts have increased nearly 40% in the last year.
Ida Cunningham said her Kia Optima was stolen Thursday.
"It still feels like you've been violated," Cunningham said. "It feels like you worked very hard for something and someone took it away from you."
Cunningham said the theft could have cost her her job as the Kia was her only mode of transportation.
"It was very much life changing," she said. "It makes you very aware that your car is not safe anywhere."
Lt. Joe Lepore warned owners of the car brands in model years between 2011 and 2021 to protect themselves from the social media bandits.
"They're kids," Lepore said. "They're teenagers not realizing the affect that this could have on somebody."
Lepore said the teens may not realize the consequences of their actions, but said the penalties for motor vehicle theft are very real.
"This is not a joke. It's not a challenge. It is a felony crime," he said. "When you are caught, you will be arrested, and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Cunningham said she will now follow Metro's advice to install wheel locks or after market alarms on her car to discourage another potential thief after police recovered her car.
"I love my Kia, but it looks like I'm going to have to have to find other ways to protect my car," she said.
Lepore urged anyone with a Kia or Hyundai to contact their dealership immediately as a fix is available for the security flaw.
