CAR THEFT THREAT – Kia/Hyundai Tik Tok Challenge

The Puget Sound Auto Theft Task-Force (PSATT), which serves King and Pierce Counties, has issued a warning to car owners about the Kia Tik Tok Challenge. Since early July, some users of Tik Tok, the social media platform, have distributed instructions on how to hotwire a 2011 or newer Kia or 2015 or newer Hyundai using a USB cable. The instructions have been linked to an increase in Kia/Hyundai car thefts by local law enforcement agencies nationwide.

Kia’s and Hyundai’s that use traditional keys in their ignition to start are particularly vulnerable to this theft technique. Kia’s and Hyundai’s that use a push button to start are not at risk to the technique, according to PSATT.

In a recent Facebook post, PSATT made the following observations about the increase in Kia/Hyundai thefts in Pierce County:

·         Most of the thefts or attempted thefts occurred at apartment complexes.

·         In several of the attempts, the vehicle’s windows were broken out.

·         Vehicles that were locked and/or had vehicle alarms seemed to prevent some thefts from occurring.

PSATT recommends:

·         Locking your vehicle!

·         Remove all valuables from your vehicle.

·         Activate a vehicle alarm system.

·         Install a hidden GPS tracking system.

·         Install a hidden kill switch.

·         Install a steering wheel lock.

 

As mentioned earlier, PSATT covers King and Pierce Counties. The activity that they described applies to those counties. However, with Tik Tok being available just about anywhere, Snohomish County and the rest of the Puget Sound region no doubt are susceptible to this car theft threat.

 

Puget Sound Auto Theft Task-Force:

https://www.facebook.com/pugetsoundautotheft/photos/a.105522928408595/372875261673359/

https://www.facebook.com/pugetsoundautotheft/photos/a.105522928408595/373345861626299/

 

FOX13:

https://www.q13fox.com/news/kia-hyundai-owners-warned-of-viral-tiktok-explaining-how-to-steal-those-vehicles-using-usb-cables

 

Newsweek:

https://www.newsweek.com/tiktok-kia-challenge-dangerous-1728309

 

MOBILE PAYMENT APPS – Avoiding Mobile Payment Scams

Mobile apps such as PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, etc. have become an easy way to make and receive payments. And scammers have found numerous ways to try to fool you into sending them money or giving them your account information.

A recent Reader’s Digest article has identified 10 mobile app scams that include order confirmation, fake fraud alerts, password reset requests, promotional offers, refund requests, overpayment scams, and more.

Many of these scams are simply phishing or smishing scams that pretend to be from the payment app provider and ask you to click on a link to “confirm” your information or fix an alleged problem. The problem is that the link may take you to a website that looks like a legitimate website but is run by the scammers to collect your account information so that they can use your account for their own purposes.

Other scams, such as fake charity or overpayment scams, try to get you to send the scammer money. With a fake charity scam, the scammer will pretend to be an established charity, or a charity formed to help victims of a disaster, such as the flooding in eastern Kentucky, to solicit “donations” for the cause. The money does not go to help but goes into the scammer’s pocket. With an overpayment scam, you might have sold something to someone who turns out to be a scammer. They overpay with a fake or stolen credit card. Then contact you and ask for the overpaid balance, usually to a different account. Then they cancel the transaction with PayPal or Zelle leaving you out of your product and your money.

Some things you can do to prevent getting caught up in a payment scam include:

·         Protect your account with 2 factor authentication, 2FA, (multifactor authentication, MFA). 2FA/MFA is being recommended by more and more cyber security professionals because this technique protects your accounts from being hijacked by someone who should not have access to your accounts.

·         Use strong passwords of 12 characters or more on your accounts.

·         Be leery of certain requests or demands such as a “requirement” to make a payment to claim a prize or collect a sweepstake winnings or a “financial institution” having you transfer your funds from one account to another account to prevent fraud. Scammers sometimes demand actions that normally are not needed to take, often requiring some sort of payment. For example, if you have won a sweepstakes, your do not need to pay anything to the people running the sweepstakes. And “transferring” money only allows it to be deposited into the scammers bank account.

·         If you receive an email or a text message requesting money, don’t click on any links. If you want to see a website of the organization, or you want to call an individual who sent the email/text find their contact information through a web search.

Payment apps provide a new level of convenience. With some precautions, you can use them with confidence.

 

Reader’s Digest:

https://www.rd.com/article/paypal-scams/

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/mobile-payment-apps-how-avoid-scam-when-you-use-one#avoid%20sending%20money%20to%20scammer

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2020/02/making-mobile-payments-protect-yourself-scams

 

Identity Theft Resource Center:

https://www.idtheftcenter.org/post/new-zelle-scam-uses-crafty-methods-gets-criminals-into-bank-account/

 

The following links to AARP tells the story of how a scammer defrauded a individual out of her savings through a Zelle scam.

AARP:

https://www.aarp.org/podcasts/the-perfect-scam/info-2022/zelle-scam.html

https://www.aarp.org/podcasts/the-perfect-scam/info-2022/zelle-scam-part-2.html