Thieves are stealing car's Catalytic Converter in America for an easy way to make money

Metal prices are soaring. And, police say, thieves are after your catalytic converter.

Thieves are targeting catalytic converters because they contain trace amounts of platinum, palladium, and rhodium – all of which a crooks can sell for around $200 a pop. According to MSNBC, rhodium is one of the most expensive metals on the market, running for as much as $6,000 an ounce.

Jennifer Krings, a spokeswoman for AAA, said, “These thieves are targeting shopping malls, school parking lots, busy business districts, and they are hitting these places in the daylight. A lot of the large passenger cars — SUVs, trucks and vans — have two, so those are a target.”

Tony Murtell, manager of U-Pull & Pay in Philadelphia, said, “I’ve heard of people going into apartment complexes in the middle of the night — just taking a handsaw, getting up under someone’s car and sawing it off. They collect a few of them and take off somewhere to be recycled.”

Los Angeles Police say that the Toyota 4Runner is the most common target due to its high ground clearance and four-bolt attachment that can easily be sawed off. The Kia Sportage is reportedly an easy target for would-be thieves.

Scrap metal companies have noticed a rise in the recycled metals, but the catalytic converters contain no identifying numbers, making them impossible to trace.