Fox 9 Minneapolis St Paul
@fox9·814K subscribers·31.3K videos
20% of car thefts now involve key programmers
Posted
April 1, 2026
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1:32Now PlayingCar thieves are turning to new technology to steal vehicles faster than ever, and law enforcement in the Twin Cities is working to keep up.
Authorities say about 20% of cars stolen in Hennepin County are now taken using software that reprograms the car so that it will start using a blank key fob. The technology is easily purchased online, with how-to videos widely available.
Sergeant Mike Vai, with the Hennepin County Auto Theft Task Force, demonstrated how quickly thieves can hack into a car, saying, "It’s just basically following prompts." In just over a minute, he was able to hack into a car, noting, "The groups that are doing this, they’ve got more experience than I do, and they’re out of here in 30–40 seconds."
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