Tesla Model 3 Stolen From Mall of America Using Only a Smartphone

A little bit of social engineering can go a long way. With cars becoming more connected than ever, cybersecurity is a hot-button topic that extends past your computer screen and into your car. Using a bit of technology, an alleged car thief was able to get his hands on a Model 3 at the Mall of America and drive away without needing a key.

The alleged crime was reportedly committed via smartphone. A computer forensics specialist who commented on the happenings of the incident was able to narrow down just how the alleged stolen Tesla was taken with such reported ease. The person allegedly responsible for taking the car is believed to have reached out to Tesla’s customer support to add the stolen Model 3 to his Tesla account by its vehicle identification number.

Once the vehicle was accessible on a smartphone that was signed into this person’s account, he was reportedly able to unlock the car and drive away without ever needing a key. Several days later, the alleged car thief was tracked down and arrested in the stolen car in Waco, Texas, more than 1,000 miles south of its starting point in Minnesota. Since this person disabled GPS tracking on the car, the owner had to utilize a different method of tracking down the alleged crook.

The owner tracked the location of the car’s Supercharging and provided it to local authorities where they promptly located the car and arrested the man behind the wheel.

Source: thedrive.com