A CORVETTE owner has warned drivers of a “reprogramming” trick after his car disappeared from his driveway overnight.
Jonathan Stern said his 2020 Corvette was stolen from the driveway of his home in Sunrise, Florida, after the thief had adjusted the tech inside his motor.
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He explained a masked man had approached his home earlier on in the night, at around 3.45am, to reprogram the car before it was then stolen at 4.45am.
Speaking to WSVN, he said: “So they took the car at 4:45 a.m., but at 3:45 a.m., they pulled up, stopped in front of the driveway and you could just hear the car beep so they must’ve reprogrammed the car itself.”
Door cam footage confirmed Jonathan’s claims, as it showed a car pulling up to his home at around 3.45am.
After the suspected reprogramming, which appeared to take a few minutes, the car drove off.
Later, at 4.45am, the masked suspect returned and could be seen tugging on the door handle.
Jonathan explained: “I saw a guy, fully dressed, masked hoodie. He was quick.
“He just walked up to the door handle, opened it and drove off.”
The car owner explained he had woken up to go fishing when he realised his car was gone.
After checking his door cam footage, he discovered the shocking clip of the masked man stealing his prized motor.
Hours after it was stolen, Sunrise Police found the vehicle abandoned off the I-95, however the suspect was nowhere to be found.
The Corvette was then towed and taken to the dealership to be reprogrammed.
Jonathan has now advised other motorists to install trackers in their motors and to keep them stored in garages in order to reduce the risk of them being stolen.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office has said it has not made any arrests in connection with the crime as it continues to search for the perpetrator.
If you have any information on the crime, you can call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
You can always remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
This comes after a driver’s truck disappeared after a thief used a clever key fob trick to target his vehicle.
Drivers warned over most stolen models of 2024 as they walk out of homes & find cars missing – two are from same brand
DRIVERS have been warned about which cars were targeted the most by thieves in the last year.
A report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) revealed that two of the models are from the same automaker.
In 2024, 850,708 vehicles were reported stolen which is a significant decline from the previous years.
In 2023 and 2022, over one million vehicles were reported stolen.
According to the NICB report, two Hyundai models – the Elantra and Sonata – were the most likely to be reported stolen in the last two years.
Thieves have targeted specific Hyundai and Kia models because they are missing a specific auto part, making then easier to steal.
According to a 2023 Capital One report, these specific models don’t have an anti-theft device called an immobilizer, which prevents a car from starting when someone attempts to unlock it with a key that doesn’t match the car.
“This means that thieves can simply break into the vehicle, remove the steering column cover, jam a makeshift key into the ignition cylinder, and start the car,” the report stated.
Georgia motorist Branden Reagin said his Ford F-150 Raptor was stolen as he was finishing a meal off Lawrenceville Highway, as reported by Georgia’s local news outlet, WSB-TV.
“It’s like a movie scene,” Branden told WSB-TV.
“You’re chasing your truck, wanting to run after it, but you just know you’ll never catch it.”
The driver said he saw another car driving around his vehicle but didn’t think much of it until the suspicious BMW backed in next to his truck.
After informing authorities, he learned that the person who stole his car was using key fob cloning technology.
Thieves can now stand near someone’s car and use a device that imitates the signal of a fob, allowing them to unlock and start the vehicle.
With the rise of new technology, drivers like Reagin are concerned about the potential for increased auto theft.
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