Recent reports indicate a new wave of thefts targeting Hyundai and Kia’s latest electric vehicles.
This surge comes after the “Kia Boyz” trend exposed a vulnerability in the carmakers’ older models, making them easy targets for theft.
The lack of electronic immobilizers in these vehicles was a significant security lapse, allowing inexperienced thieves to steal them for amusement.
While all cars are susceptible to theft, Hyundai and Kia’s past oversight made their vehicles particularly attractive due to their ease of access. This new method, however, bypasses those weaknesses by using sophisticated tools.
Unlike the “Kia Boyz” situation, these thefts involve expensive “Game Boy” devices that mimic authorized keys, allowing criminals to steal high-value electric cars with ease.
Though historically used by professionals for luxury vehicles, the growing popularity of electric cars makes these devices a tempting option for criminals targeting a wider range of brands.
This method, known as the “Game Boy” technique due to the device’s resemblance to the handheld console, works by communicating directly with the car once a thief touches the door handle.
Unlike traditional theft methods that require the original key fob to be nearby, the Game Boy emulator can steal the car even if the owner is far away, creating a nightmare situation for unsuspecting travelers.
To make matters worse, while these vehicles boast GPS tracking through apps like Hyundai Bluelink and Kia Connect, thieves can easily remove the stolen car from the owner’s account, rendering the tracking useless. This vulnerability exposes a significant gap in the security systems of these popular car brands.
