A Hooligans Motorcycle Gang called Dirty 30 was recently busted with an unusual crime: hacking Jeep Wrangler alarm systems. With “high tech gadgetry” as officials called it, the gang was able to restrict features of the alarm systems. This included the horns and emergency flashers. With a replica key in hand, they accessed the passenger compartment of the vehicle and operated a handheld key programmer. This programmed the replica key to control the vehicle.
After obtaining over 150 Jeep Wranglers, the biker gang proceeded to Mexico. They then stripped the vehicles and sold the parts. This operation started back in 2014, giving the gang ample opportunity to perfect their criminal talents. As explained in ExtremeTech’s blog,
“The gang was split up into crews, and each member of a crew had a specific role to play in the thefts. There was a leader, transporter, scout, and key cutter. Court documents allege that all the thefts were carried out in the same way. First, a scout would find a Jeep Wrangler and surreptitiously obtain the vehicle identification number (VIN) from the dashboard or elsewhere on the body of the jeep. Next, the thief would use specially cut keys to steal the vehicle and hand it off to the transporter, whose job it was to get back across the border.”
In conclusion to the arrest of 3 of the gang members and the later released details, Jeep is revising its authentication code system. In the meantime, the rest of Dirty 30 is hiding out in Mexico.
Charlie, a blogger for Zero Day, writes:
“In an online chat held between Hooligan members, one member said pertaining to another series of planned thefts, ‘They’re going to say, damn hooligans,’ to which another responded, ‘We’re the plague. They can’t stop us.’ Three members of the motorcycle club have been tracked down and detained, and the remaining six are believed to be in hiding in Mexico.”