Mayor Eric Adams joined Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell and Deputy Mayor Philip Banks on Thursday to warn New Yorkers of a series of car thefts reportedly spurred on by social media.
According to mayor Adams, a social media trend known as the “Kia Boyz TikTok challenge” that began gaining traction in mid-2022 is seeing teens steal Kia and Hyundai cars. Due to an alleged defect in these vehicles, the joy riders are able to gain easy access to the automobiles, putting themselves and the public at risk.
