New York Times reports theives are after treasure in your vehicle’s undercarriage. Your catalytic converter has suddenly become a favorite of sneaky underworld thugs. And it has partly to do with our economy.

The uncertainty of our economy has placed a new modern importance in gold. The current price of an ounce of it is $937.69. Since the price of gold has risen, so has the price of other more rare metals. Your catalytic converter houses some of the meal tickets in question and apparently, is an easy target.

«Theft of scrap metals like copper and aluminum has been common here and across the country for years, fueled by rising construction costs and the building boom in China. But now thieves have found an easy payday from the upper echelon of the periodic table. It seems there may not be an easier place to score some platinum than under the hood of a car.»

From the research I’ve done, Toyota 4Runners and other Toyota SUVs and Trucks are popular targets. The cost of replacing a catalytic converter can cost upwards of $1000, depending on the size of the vehicle.

Unfortunately there isn’t much you can do to prevent the theft of a catalytic converter.

«Legs sticking out from under a car were a tip-off this year for the Chicago police, who said they spotted a man in the Lakeview neighborhood just before he slithered from under the car and discarded a power saw along the curb. The man and three accomplices were charged with burglary and possession of burglary tools.»

So basically, hope the thief is dumb enough to try to steal your converter in broad daylight in plain sight. If you’re unlucky enough to be the victim of a clever thief, be sure to file a police report not only for your own records, but for the benefit of others in your area.

For the full article, click HERE.