Authorities say drivers should be aware of devices known as signal interception devices, which can intercept key fob signals and allow thieves to use them to break into vehicles.
LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Criminals continue to target Kia vehicles in Northeast Ohio.
The Lakewood Police Department is currently searching for individuals associated with the stolen Kia who fled the vehicle during an officer-led pursuit.
Police Inspector Gary Stone told 3News a stolen Kia was traveling through Lakewood with its lights off early Tuesday morning. Lakewood Police Department officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but it did not stop and a pursuit began.
Stone said there were five people in the car as officers pursued it through Lakewood, Rocky River and then Westlake. The chase became hectic.
“The vehicle then spun out of control and struck an officer’s patrol vehicle in the area of Columbia and Center Ridge,” Stone explained. “One or two occupants exited the vehicle and fled on foot, at which point the vehicle began moving again.”
Stone said support officers were eventually able to stop the vehicle and arrest the three minors. They continue to search for the other juveniles who escaped.
“Kia appears to be a vehicle that is prone to theft,” Stone added, “and we are concerned about the number of minors who are involved in these types of crimes.”
Lakewood police are still investigating how the vehicle was stolen, but believe it was taken from Cleveland. Police say six Kias have been stolen in the city so far this year, compared to 35 last year.
3News doesn’t know how the various Kias were stolen, but the methods vary. There are a lot of creative ways car thieves use to steal vehicles, but cybersecurity experts are urging drivers to be wary of using devices called signal interceptors, which capture key fob signals and allow thieves to use them to break into the car.
“This device allows a criminal to record the unlock signal of the car and then replay it to gain access to the car without setting off the alarm,” said Paul Semmes, an expert at TrustedSec, a cybersecurity consulting firm in northeast Ohio. “So what they’re trying to do is essentially clone the key fob.”
We asked him if he had any defenses against this.
“You can’t change the key fob or reprogram the car, so you don’t really have any defense against it,” Semmes replied. “So just be aware of your surroundings. You can also avoid using key fobs — most people don’t and just use manual keys — but you don’t really have a strong defense against them.”
TrustedSec says newer vehicles have better protection against such devices, as their unlocking systems have more sophisticated algorithms that prevent such attacks.
