A WOMAN became the victim of a dangerous new TikTok trend called the “Kia challenge.”
Alissa Smart was woken up in the middle of the night on July 16 by her niece who told her that two people broke into her Kia and tried to start the vehicle with a USB cable.
The challenge originates from a video from the social media app where two men sit in a Kia vehicle and demonstrate how to start the car with the cable.
Using this method allegedly allows a driver to bypass a chip or key in certain Kia models.
Authorities across the country have been warning Kia and Hyundai owners about the issue.
“I was so angry when my niece woke me up to tell me,” Smart told FOX59.
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“I was scared, anxious and confused on how someone could see two car seats and a diaper bag and still commit such a monstrous act.”
It’s unknown who committed the crime, but Smart believes it might have been local teenagers.
“I have no idea – I’m leaning toward a teenager based on the fact they stole bicycles along the way and then Mountain Dew from my parents’ garage and ditched it all up the road to come back and try to steal my Kia Soul,” she said.
“The keys were in one of my parents’ vehicles on the property. If they wanted to steal a car, it would’ve been much easier to take that truck.
“Instead they busted out my window and tried to hotwire my Kia Soul before my niece walked outside and they took off running on foot.”
Severe damage has been done to Smart’s car with hundreds in repairs – a window replacement alone will cost her about $400.
“I can’t afford to fix my vehicle, which leaves me and my two children without our only mode of transportation,” she said.
“Not to mention they stole my wallet that included my ID and my children’s medical cards with their full names and date of births. I feel violated and scared.”
Smart filed a report with the Lapel Police Department but said law enforcement hasn’t received any similar cases.
“Lapel is a small community and I’ve lived here for 20 years, over two-thirds of my life. Nothing like this has ever happened where a window is broken to steal from a car. The police stated that to me.”
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Smart believes TikTok shouldn’t allow this kind of content to be posted on the platform to limit the possibility of future break-ins.
“This trend absolutely makes me feel disgusted. It’s really beyond me that people think it’s okay to post criminal acts, let alone participate in them after seeing them online.”
