Preposterous methods of car thieves in Hungary

There have been interesting changes in car theft trends in Hungary in the past year. Read here what brands of vehicles are most affected, in which cities and what the most common method of stealing is.

Most common car theft schemes

According to Vezess.hu, many car owners unwittingly facilitate theft, making it a seemingly effortless task. The Hungarian National Police Headquarters (ORFK) disclosed that in 2023, the predominant method of car theft involved simply entering unlocked vehicles and driving off with keys conveniently left in the ignition.

Previously, criminals relied on more intricate tactics. Using a jammer, interfacing with the car’s onboard diagnostics unit to programme new keys or using signal blockers to disable GPS were prevalent. However, the two most common ways cars get stolen today are much more banal.

Alarmingly, instances abound where individuals leave their cars unlocked in public spaces, with keys temptingly within reach, while they briefly pop into nearby shops. In some cases, engines are even left running, providing perpetrators with easy targets to exploit moments of carelessness or impulsive decision-making by victims.

Equally straightforward is the second most common scenario: criminals pocket the keys of victims by sneaking into their homes or targeting their belongings on the beach. With keys in hand, they effortlessly access cars and then drive off. ORFK also documented an incident where a culprit took a car for a test drive and simply never returned it to the lot.

What vehicles are in danger?

Once highly sought-after, Simson motorcycles from the former German Democratic Republic were prime targets for thieves, prized for their collector’s appeal and fetching seven-figure sums on the market.

In recent years, however, demand for them has ceased somewhat, and Simsons now only place ninth on the list of stolen vehicles the police are looking for in Hungary. In 2023, Opel topped the list of the “most wanted” for offenders. In the top five of the database for stolen vehicles, you can also find Suzuki, Volkswagen, Ford and Mecedes-Benz.

Interestingly, as Vezess.hu highlights, there was a significant rise in motorcycle thefts last year, likely linked to the surge in scooter couriers following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Areas of risk

ORFK also released revealing data on cities with the highest rates of vehicle thefts. Unsurprisingly, Budapest took the lead with 103 stolen vehicles. While this figure is substantial, it requires context.

Firstly, as the largest city in the country, Budapest naturally records higher theft rates.

Relatively speaking, other regions far outweigh Budapest in vehicle theft rates, Pénzcentrum observes. Nógrád County reported the highest thefts per 100 thousand inhabitants between February 2022 and February 2023, with 25 incidents, compared to Budapest’s 15. Conversely, Hajdú-Bihar, Vas, and Zala counties emerged as the safest, with 6, 8,and 8 cases per 100 thousand people, respectively.

Read also:

• Controversial measure: will Budapest ban high-polluting cars?
• Caution: Scammers in Hungary bombard with new tricks, banks warn

Featured image: depositphotos.com

Source: Vezess.hu