It may be simpler than you think. In Florida, a hacker took possession of a Mercedes-Maybach and a Rolls-Royce delivered to his doorstep without paying anything. But he made a crucial mistake, and the police are looking after him.
Data security is an issue in today’s auto industry, where more and more cars are being updated over the air. And hackers have progressed faster than the automakers. What happened in Florida, USA, shows how easy it is to fool automakers’ systems.
In the U.S., the direct-to-home car delivery system works. People who buy a car, especially a premium vehicle, no longer go to the dealer to pick it up in person but prefer to have it delivered to their home. But a hacker took advantage of this and illegally hacked into the delivery system of a transportation company called Dealer’s Choice Auto Transport.
After hacking into the transportation company’s system, the hacker was able to see the delivery schedule, customer data, and customer addresses. So he changed the delivery address for two luxury cars from the real owner’s address to his home!
“The hacker hacked into the delivery company’s platform, where he saw which cars were being transported and when. He then called and confirmed to the delivery driver that he was the owner and also gave him the new address,” Steven Yariv, CEO of Dealer’s Choice Auto Transport, told News Miami.
In the first case, a Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 ($174,350) was delivered right to the hacker’s door. Except he didn’t settle for just one car. The hacker also identified a Rolls-Royce Cullinan ($400,000) in the delivery company’s system and changed the delivery address on that one as well. The delivery driver confirmed the address and also delivered this car to the hacker.
Police are looking for the hacker
When the delivery company discovered the forgery, they reported it to the police. The police are investigating and already have a lead. When the driver of the delivery company delivered the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600, he took a photo of the vehicle, and the person who received it appear also in the image. It is not known if this person is the hacker, but the police have a photo.
Police are offering a $20,000 reward for each car, but so far, the investigation has not progressed, and police are hoping to get additional information that will lead to the capture of the hacker.
