Car thieves are targeting two brands of vehicles, leading some insurance companies to drop coverage.“It's when we started noticing, near the end of 2021, an increase in the Kia and Hyundai thefts,” Lt. Paul Volkerson with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said. The Orange County Sheriff's Office says thieves are ripping open the steering columns on Kias and Hyundais, and once exposed, using a thumb drive or USB phone charger to turn the ignition on.“You can still use a screwdriver, but nowadays, the USB is available so they will use the USB to help start the vehicle,” Volkerson said.Just in Orange County, there were more than 2,300 vehicle thefts last year and 184 last month.The 436 Kia and Hyundai thefts last year amounted to 19% of the total, and just last month, 26% or 48 thefts. That's one out of every four cars stolen.And how are they learning it? From dozens of videos that have been posted by thieves on TikTok and other social media.It's generated a wave of thefts of Kias and Hyundais manufactured before November 2021 that use regular ignition keys and are not equipped with engine immobilizers, leaving a trail of victims in its wake.“It's emotionally draining. It's mentally draining. And now it's extremely financially draining,” Joy Gibbs, a victim of car theft, said. The damage and loss claims are "financially draining" to insurance companies too. Some are dropping coverage or refusing to insure Kias and Hyundais. State Farm told WESH 2 Investigates, "we take seriously our responsibility to manage risk and the impact of excess claim costs on all our customers." Orlando insurance agent Tom Cotton is worried.“My guess is it's going to spread like COVID-19,” Cotton said. “You know it's going to go from community to community … But I believe it's going to get worse before it gets better.”“So it's important that you secure your vehicle so this doesn't happen,” Volkerson said. It may seem a little old school, but law enforcement says one of the best ways for you to keep your car from being stolen is to use a steering wheel lock. Once it's in place, the vehicle can't be driven."People put these in their luggage when they go to the airport when they travel,” Volkerson said.Volkerson also suggests people put Apple AirTags or Samsung SmartTags in their vehicles.“If your car gets stolen, it could definitely increase the speed in which the car gets recovered,” Volkerson said. Kia and Hyundai are advising owners to purchase steering wheel locks, and are supplying some police departments with those devices. They say all 2022 and newer models are equipped with engine immobilizers, and immobilizing software for older models should be available by April. In nearly identical responses to our WESH 2 Investigates questions, Kia and Hyundai provided, in part, this statement: "While no car can be made completely theft-proof, Hyundai (and Kia are) committed to ensuring the quality and integrity of all our products through continuous improvement."