Disgruntled Texas Car Salesman Disables 100+ Customer's Cars through Web Site

[TXCharlie]

Police Believe Salesman Disabled 100+ Cars - Reviews by PC Magazine

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Police Believe Salesman Disabled 100+ Cars

Police in Austin, Texas have arrested 20-year-old Omar Ramos-Lopez on the belief he remotely disabled over 100 vehicles sold through his former car dealership, according to Tom's Guide.

Texas Auto Center apparently uses a Web-based vehicle immobilization system to remind customers late on their car payments that they're delinquent. The dealership installs a small black box under the dashboard that communicates with a central Web site, the report said.

Ramos-Lopez is believed to have broken into the system via another employee's account and disabled over 100 cars after being laid off. He also set many of the cars to honk their horns repeatedly. Many owners became stranded, or woken up late at night by the car horn and being forced to disconnect the battery.
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[jmur5074]

"You can take this job and shove it" would have been a more appropriate response.

[ms1600]

If any of the cars were not in TX, is he going to get some type of federal wire fraud charges?

[KaiGywer]

This is kinda funny at the same time. Especially the part about the horns

[pgg]

He showed them...

[Sapper_132]

Thats funny as shit! Man could I have some fun with that system. lol

[Car 4]

So if some local asswipe can do it....why can't we when we have a chase going?


Anybody...Bueler?

Car 4

[TXCharlie]

So if some local asswipe can do it....why can't we when we have a chase going?


Anybody...Bueler?

Car 4

Every car would have to have the gizmo built into its computer so the police could disable it. I remember there was a push to require the box in all cars a few years ago, and I think 60 Minutes even demonstrated it on TV one time, but it didn't go anywhere.

I guess cost was one problem (which isn't really a problem anymore with improved technology, and since every car already has a computer which could accept a "kill" order from a little short-range receiver box which shouldn't cost over $10).

Of course the main problem would be that anything like that could be disabled, even if it takes swapping the whole computer out - Which a lot of people may do if they're afraid the device would leave them stranded if it malfunctioned or was hacked like this).

Still would probably work on most new cars, since most people probably wouldn't disconnect it - Why would they, if it might help recover their car if it's stolen? I think it could be made so any crude tampering a car thief would make (such as removing the receiver or cutting wires) could render the car disabled, thus requiring a much more sophisticated criminal.