There's a crime wave sweeping the world right now. A new kind of theft that takes just minutes.....

[USALiberal]

There’s a crime wave sweeping the world right now. A new kind of theft that takes just minutes to carry out

[Chautauquas]

1. Pretty easy to remove those things

Isn't there a way to make them harder to steal?

[luv2fly]

7. There is

My neighbor's son has one on his Honda Civic, you can see it as you drive by. Although I didn't look closely, it appears to be something like one of those bread delivery trays you see in bakeries, not very deep but maybe 3 ft by 4 ft. It's attached to the bottom of the car somehow and serves as a deterrent.

[patphil]

2. This has been going on for decades; it's not new.

Right after catalytic converters were installed on cars, criminals were stealing them for the precious metals they contain.
It might be spiking now, but it's not a recent problem.

[unblock]

3. New? People have been stealing these for as long as they've been around

[FM123]

4. Yep.

There's no doubt that the amount of catalytic converter thefts across the country has skyrocketed, but what makes the automotive piece so valuable?

Officials say catalytic converters are so valuable because they contain precocious metals, which thieves sell to scrap yards for cash.

According to Way.com, the prices of metals found in catalytic converters have skyrocketed since the turn of the 21st century and is one of the reasons why theft of catalytic converters is on the rise.

https://brooklyn.news12.com/as-catalytic-converter-thefts-skyrocket-what-makes-them-so-valuable

[rictofen]

5. Precocious metals? No wonder they're expensive!

[FM123]

8. Yep. That's what they say....

According to kitco.com, rhodium is worth $12,850 per ounce, palladium is $2,040 per ounce, and platinum is worth $884 per ounce as of July 2022.
https://brooklyn.news12.com/as-catalytic-converter-thefts-skyrocket-what-makes-them-so-valuable

[mjvpi]

6. We gave our son our 2006 Prius. He moved to Portland during Covid........

…….with two friends from college. Old car. Things come up. Classic phone call. "Dad, why does the Prius sound like a Harley?".

[TheBlackAdder]

9. Lehto's Law: Crime Ring May Have Stolen 44,000 Catalytic Converters (Book Thrown At Them)

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