We can’t believe people don’t know about car thieves intercepting the signal produced by modern key fobs, then using that to steal a keyless car with ease. This sort of thing has been going on for about a decade, and yet it seems there are still plenty of naïve victims to be exploited.
Thieves can’t steal this Camaro ZL1.
The latest example comes out of the UK where a theft ring was stealing high-end luxury cars like Bentleys and Range Rovers by capturing the fob signal at night from outside expensive homes.
Like in so many other cases, they had a second device right outside the target vehicle which transmitted the captured signal, tricking the vehicle into believing the fob was right there. And this worked so well the theft ring was able to steal 53 luxury vehicles valued at £3.7 million, reports The Telegraph.
While this type of car hacking technique, common called a relay attack, is often used on vehicles parked outside a house at night, we’ve seen cases where it’s been used in a parking lot of a store or business.
To stop this sort of thing, you only need a small Faraday pouch to put your key inside after you lock your car doors. Once you do that, the signal is blocked, keeping potential thieves from capturing it.
Faraday pouches are so effective at stopping this type of theft attempt that police in Toronto famously told car owners to stop using them lest thieves break into their home and hold them at gunpoint, sparking serious controversy.
Even if you don’t own a luxury vehicle, a Faraday pouch should house your key if you have keyless ignition, especially at night. Even if your car is in the garage, a skilled thief can break into their with ease.
Image via The Telegraph/YouTube
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