Chinese man steals over 12 Mercedes car badges to get ‘likes’ on website
Thefts prompt discussion online in China over whether video-sharing websites are encouraging excessive behaviour to attract viewers
A Chinese man was arrested after stealing Mercedes-Benz badges from over a dozen cars one night and filming himself doing it to get more “likes” on a video-sharing website, a news website reported.
Police in Yongkang in Zhejiang province received multiple complaints from Mercedes-Benz owners at about midnight last Wednesday about the thefts, according to Shanghai-based Nbd.com.cn.
The man, whose full name was not given, was tracked down through surveillance camera footage. Police found over a dozen car badges in his flat, the report said.
The man, 25, told police videos showing the theft of car badges were now hugely popular on the Chinese online video platform Douyin.
He was quoted as saying he thought stealing Mercedes badges would be a good way to boost his videos’ viewership as it only took a few seconds and required no skill.