Drivers warned as vehicles totaling $500k disappear after using car service – owners were left with nothing but a text

A TRANSPORT company delivering luxury cars has been hacked after a thief stole two cars collectively worth $500,000.

A theft victim and the company CEO are offering $20,000 to whoever can provide information about the location of the cars .

WSVN

WSVN

WSVN

Steven Yariv, the CEO of Dealer’s Choice Auto Transport in West Palm Beach, Florida, takes pride in his company, which delivers luxury cars to its customers in a secure, streamlined, and efficient way.

“It is a very simple process, the dealership calls you up,” Yariv told FOX affiliate WSVN .

“You just ask for the information, where we’re picking up from where we’re delivering to.”

Customers would communicate with drivers and Yariv through what was thought to be a safe service – until a hacker got into the driver’s portal and interfered with communications.

That’s how a 2024 Mercedes Benz GLS 600 Mayback SUV, worth $200,000, and a Rolls Royce Cullinan worth $300,000 were stolen.

“The criminal actually hacked into the driver’s portal and knew what vehicles were being transported, they knew what was going on,” recalled Yariv.

For the Maybach, the delivery address suddenly changed for the driver from an address in Hollywood to an empty lot in Miami.

“ The thief happened to reach out to the driver acting as if he was the receiving party and gave him all the right information, told him where the car is supposed to go.”

A similar instance happened for the Cullinan, where the driver tasked with delivering the luxury car received a text ordering a change of address.

“The driver received a text message from a random phone number. I actually have that phone number,” said Steven Waisman, the legal owner of the Rolls Royce.

“[The driver] received a text message saying ‘Hey, you have my Cullinan? Please deliver it to this address.’”

“And he provided an address which was some random parking lot in Miami.”

Yariv and Waisman were both devastated by the breach.

However, the thief’s antics didn’t end with the apprehension of the luxury cars .

Both Waisman and Yariv were then sadistically teased by the thief.

“Ignorantly, he is actually texting us trying to tease us,” Yariv said of the thief.

How to prevent vehicle theft

Here are 10 ways to avoid your car being stolen according to an auto insurance company:

1. Lock your doors. It makes it more difficult for thieves to access anything inside the vehicle.
2. Keep your keys on your person. With smart keys and fobs, a car can be unlocked if the key is close by. If the key is inside or on your person, it can’t be unlocked.
3. Don’t leave a spare key near the vehicle, as thieves know to look for them in common places like in a wheel well, under items in the driveway, or in the glovebox.
4. Keep windows closed. If a window is open, thieves can manually unlock the doors.
5. Park in well-lit areas, as it helps detour thieves if their actions are visible to passersby.
6. If your vehicle doesn’t have one, consider an anti-theft alarm system.
7. If you live in a high-crime area, consider an immobilizer device that utilizes a kill switch if the device doesn’t recognize an authorized key.
8. Consider a tracking device to be able to keep tabs on your vehicle’s location if it’s stolen.
9. Never leave valuables in the car, especially in a visible spot. Thieves know to look in the floor boards, passenger, or rear seats for valuables.
10. Double-check before leaving the vehicle that it’s secure.

Source: Allstate Auto Insurance

The thief sent text messages with photos of torn-up floorboards to indicate the factory tracking device was forcefully removed.

“Bro, car already in Dubai, or Europe you guess,” read the text message.

The thief also sent a message to Yariv thanking him for the free car.

“Thanks for the free Maybach, dawg,” read the message.

Miami police are investigating the disappearance of the Mercedes, while the Miami-Dade police are investigating the Rolls Royce theft.

Yariv is hopeful the thief will be caught soon.

In the meantime, he works valiantly to restore the security of his service.

“This is something we deal with every day to protect our clients and protect the people,” he said.

“We are one of the largest transport carriers and brokers in the country, it’s a battle every day.”

To help catch the thief, Waisman and Yariv are both offering $20,000 to anyone with viable tips about the location of either vehicle.

WSVN