Young car thieves in Ballarat steal for TikTok fame, not money
Car theft in Ballarat jumped 22 per cent as teenagers steal vehicles to livestream on TikTok and Snapchat for notoriety.
Young offenders in Ballarat are stealing cars and broadcasting the crimes live on social media, police say, in a troubling shift away from traditional vehicle theft. Inspector Brady told a policing forum that car theft rose 22 per cent between July 2025 and June 2026, with teenagers doing it for the likes and social media attention rather than to sell the vehicles.
Young offenders do it for the notoriety, with evidence they livestream on Snapchat and TikTok, Brady said. One repeat offender stole four cars in a single day.
The motive is purely social, the teenagers are not seeking commercial gain, just online fame. Adult repeat offenders are also driving the crime wave alongside the youth thieves.
- Ballarat
- Location
- October 15
- Police forum date
- Four cars stolen by one offender
- Single-day theft record
Why it mattersA jump this steep signals a shift in youth crime patterns, where social media status trumps traditional theft motives, making prevention harder because the reward is intangible.
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