Car thieves using new method to steal vehicles, drivers warned

Never miss any of the fun stuff. Get the biggest stories and wackiest takes from the Daily Star, including our special WTF Wednesday email

Thank you for subscribing!

Never miss any of the fun stuff. Get the biggest stories and wackiest takes from the Daily Star, including our special WTF Wednesday email

We have more newsletters

Car thieves are using a clever new trick to nick motors, and it doesn't even involve your keys. Experts warn that as many as 9 out of 10 thefts now use this method, so drivers need to take urgent steps to protect their cars.

Modern cars are the main target for these crooks, who use keyless technology to get in and drive away. The most common way they do this is called a "relay attack", where two criminals work together to intercept the signal from your key fob – usually when it's inside your house.

Another sneaky trick they're using more and more is hacking into a car's circuit board to disable the locks and alarm. Both methods let them steal cars and zoom off in seconds, experts say.

READ MORE: Inside 'Holiday Bay' prison with more than 100 escapes as inmates 'on the run'

For the latest news from the Daily Star, click here.

Clive Wain, a stolen vehicle recovery expert and head of police liaison for TRACKER Network UK, warned: "Criminals are very sophisticated when it comes to electronically compromising cars, as shown by the 25% rise in vehicle theft that occurred last year."

He added: "Thieves exploiting technological vulnerabilities is a huge problem facing car owners, with thefts as a result of a relay attack or CAN bus hacking sadly all too common today."

Admiral Car Insurance revealed that only between 45% and 50% of stolen vehicles are recovered, often ending up in illegal 'chop shops' where they're stripped for parts. They suggested some tips to protect your motor, like using physical barriers such as a locked garage or concrete posts on your driveway.

Another tip is to keep your keys in a Faraday pouch, which can be easily bought online and blocks attempts to clone signals.

Admiral explained: "As most modern cars have electric car keys, preventing the risk of a relay attack by housing your key in a Faraday pouch will block any electromagnetic signals being transmitted from your key – which could be in your home – to a relay device – which a criminal could be held outside if your front door."

* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up Daily Star's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Source: Read Full Article