Car Thefts Surge as Criminals Exploit New Tech
Welcome back to The Future of Automotive, where we examine the latest developments in the automotive and mobility sectors.
I’m Steve Greenfield from Automotive Ventures.
Car theft is unfortunately on the rise, with fresh data revealing that 2023 marked another concerning year for vehicle thefts.
Last year, over one million vehicles were reported stolen, reflecting a 1% increase from the prior year, and continuing a trend of rising theft rates since 2019.
California saw the highest number of vehicle thefts nationwide, with over 208,000 reported stolen vehicles.
D.C., Nevada, and Maryland were also among the top 10 states with the highest theft rates and percentage increases.
When comparing states, D.C. had the highest theft rate, with 1,150 thefts per 100,000 people, more than triple the national average.
This translates to over 1 in 100 cars stolen in D.C. last year. Urban centers with high population densities continue to be hotspots for auto theft.
Criminals are getting smarter and more advanced in their methods, using technology to bypass security.
This includes keyless entry hacks and relay attacks, exploiting vulnerabilities in modern vehicle security with alarming success.
To safeguard your vehicle, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) advises these measures:
- Park in well-lit areas.
- Close and lock all windows and doors.
- Hide valuables.
- Don’t leave keys in the car.
- Don’t leave the car running unattended.
If your car is stolen, call law enforcement and your insurer immediately. Reporting a vehicle quickly improves the chances of recovery.
Companies to Watch: Botdoc
This week, our featured company is Botdoc.
Botdoc provides an easy-to-use, real-time, secure file transport service that works via text messaging and email with end-to-end encryption.
This helps dealerships comply with the FTC Safeguards Rule.
Dealerships can set up Botdoc’s encrypted solution quickly, allowing sales staff to continue using existing devices.
Customers don’t need pins, passwords, logins, apps, or software to download information.
You can find out more about Botdoc at www.botdoc.io.
That’s it for this week’s segment. If you’re an AutoTech entrepreneur with solutions for dealerships, we want to hear from you.
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Also, don’t miss my book, “The Future of Automotive Retail,” available on Amazon.com.
And keep an eye out for my upcoming book, “The Future of Mobility”.
Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you next week!
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