Methods of a car thief - unmasked

Methods of a car thief - unmasked

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70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th November 2017
quotequote all
unfortunately car theft is once again on the rise.... i've been the victim myself recently....
one way to fight back is to share knowledge of how they work, and this thread is exactly that, i've decided to share the knowledge i've gained on the topic - the better educated we are, the harder it'll be for them i suppose....

mods, i think it should be a sticky, and i'd be most grateful if people didn't take it off track, and only add constructively... wink

where to start....
the obd port thing... and electronic keys.... if a thief can access the obd port, they can reprogram the car to work with another key (or reprogram another key) .... was a big thing for bmw's at one point as the port could be accessed easily via the drivers window, i've heard of some people getting the obd port electronically switched off... would be good for someone to post a list of the most vulnerable make/cars
http://www.advanced-incar.co.uk/2017/03/09/keyless...

key block and cloning.... when you bip the fob to open or lock the door, the thief, who has to be physically nearby, either blocks the signal with a jammer, or records the signal.... i set my wing mirrors to retract on locking, so i'll know as i walk away the car has locked, you can lock and pull the handle, but how many walk off as locking..... if your signal is recorded, the key is cloned.... not much you can do there i suppose

car jacking.... seemingly on the rise..... if you are in the car, having auto door locking on and keeping the windows closed is a good place to start.... in a car park, get off your phone etc and have your senses about you, esp if you walking to your car and you think you're being followed, walk on and dont go near your car..... seems targeted cars are followed at times, and i've read some stories of people realising they were being followed, so obviously if you are, drive somewhere safe and public, not home! also, be weary of being pulled by a fake cop car, helping a broken down car, and this one's great - if you get eggs thrown on your screen, do not activate your wipers, drive as is..... wipers and cleaner and egg white mixes badly, you'll have to pull over in yards!

keyless entry... the fob is always transmitting.... this is the new thing on the block at the moment.... thieves use an ariel receiver to pick up this signal and then boost it to access and drive away your car... mainly used for cars parked on driveways etc.... you can by 'faraday' pouches of amazon to put your keys into, and they block the signal... dont keep your keys near the door/front of house is the other thing... dont order keyless entry on a new car.... such a gimmick and for the truly lazy!
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-new...

theft with keys... they break into your house, or fish the keys you via your letter box if you allow them too.... parking on your driveway is seemingly not a good thing now! obviously be vigilant re being followed home but i have read of cases where gps trackers have been placed onto target cars and then tracked later! there are tiny pet trackers now that could be placed anywhere with a bit of tape/glue

re gps trackers... most work off a sim card and can be blocked by simple devices.... battery powered ones are the ones used to track your car by them... you can use them too, great to hide anywhere but you have to change the battery regularly.... you can buy wired systems eg https://www.autocom-shop.co.uk/product/gps-bike-tr... which doesn't seem a big outlay really..... read a lot of stories re the cars being parked up once stolen to see if tracked so maybe blockers are not that common... a real pro won't care i guess..... the subscription systems require a fob and car to be together.... but not sure that matters if the cars signal is blocked!

key swap..... suppose this is most pertinent to sellers/dealers, but the thief switching the spare key for another or a fake during a viewing

not sure i've covered everything, but i'll add later if i remember more....

i've not listed 'hot cars' here, but it seems 4wd german hot hatches and rs models are very popular for getaway cars and breaking, and suv's for export out of country

i've also not gone into prevention devices.... really think the manufacturers need to do more, esp this keyless thing, seems a joke.... seems like the good old physical locking devices for the steering wheel are coming back in fashion...

and happy to be corrected if ive said something incorrect

Edited by 70proof on Sunday 19th November 19:32

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th November 2017
quotequote all
Krikkit said:
I quite like keyless entry - takes the faff out of finding buttons etc especially when carrying shopping etc.
it also makes your car an easy theft.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4977134/Th...



Edited by 70proof on Thursday 11th January 14:12

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th November 2017
quotequote all
just remembered....

leaving your keys in the car... eg at a petrol station, outside a shop/cashpoint...... just don't do it.... it invalidates your insurance for theft as it constitutes gross negligence, there's no arguement.

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th November 2017
quotequote all
DoubleD said:
Why is his comment stupid? I also like keyless entry. Grab the door handle and go.
His comment has no relevance to the thread really, who cares about his personal preferences and justifications for such....

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th November 2017
quotequote all
janesmith1950 said:
The OP is well meaning but perhaps a little socially less-abled.
I politely request the thread be kept on topic in my first post, ta very much

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th November 2017
quotequote all
[quote=70proof]unfortunately car theft is once again on the rise.... i've been the victim myself recently....
one way to fight back is to share knowledge of how they work, and this thread is exactly that, i've decided to share the knowledge i've gained on the topic - the better educated we are, the harder it'll be for them i suppose....

mods, i think it should be a sticky, and i'd be most grateful if people didn't take it off track, and only add constructively... wink

and happy to be corrected if ive said something incorrect

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th November 2017
quotequote all
Jag_NE said:
Golf R is a cracking bit of kit.
It is indeed, and a target for the theives along with the S3, rs3.... Theft rates are about 9 in 1000 cars, so absolute risk is still low.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2017/03/25/micha...

Edited by 70proof on Sunday 19th November 11:35

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th November 2017
quotequote all
Pommy said:
, just keep your key close
That's the problem, no matter how close your keys, they transmit and you have no control of the radio waves emitted, range is determined by frequency and Ariel size.... Also the 4xx MHz frequency is far easier to jam

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th November 2017
quotequote all
There are some top comedians here, can't stop laughing, many thanks for lightening the mood

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th November 2017
quotequote all
595Heaven said:
Errr.... no they aren’t...

The passive (clue is in the name) keyless entry system uses an RFID style system. The vehicle has several antennae around it, which transmit their signal frequently. If the fob is in range (usually a few meters), the RFID chip is energised and the unlock signal is sent to the car Via 433MHz radio using a rolling code.

I normally keep my keys in my tin foil hat. You can never be too careful.
Thanks for the clarification.... So that video I linked to, they wouldn't have been able to steal the BMW if it had not been parked on the drive? Can they not clone the car signal?

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th November 2017
quotequote all
6point2 said:
How about this classic?



Excuse the pun
This was a famous pic out of south Africa, when jacking was common there, and unheard of here

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th November 2017
quotequote all
AlrightYouns said:
Hahah, nice link to a map from the daily mail... ofcourse that is the best source for not biased or racist information....

This thread is basically been created by a nazi, with other nazi's posting in it.... I'm out..
Lol.... I'm Asian dude, the thread was started as some here on piston heads don't even know dry summer tyres will lead to poor traction in the wet, so won't know this either.... I'm certainly wiser after my theft...

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th November 2017
quotequote all
AlrightYouns said:
I didn't mention being asian, what does being asian have to do with anything in this thread?
You say thread started by a Nazi, my bad, I'm not a Nazi then... Happy now

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th November 2017
quotequote all
Blanchimont said:
I drive a car with Keyless entry and go, and I've not heard of one having keys cloned and taken. They don't seem to be on thieves radar (thankfully) It's not like I live in a leafy area where a newspaper not being delivered makes local news.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/94918/tests-uncover-major-security-risk-to-keyless-cars

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Monday 20th November 2017
quotequote all
Pommy said:
That’s more like it
I linked to the same story on page 1 of this thread fwiw

Do car manufacturers really care... Don't think so, they overproduce so if one gets nicked they get to sell another....

Do insurers take the hit, no, they pass the costs on to us, and hike premiums...

Edited by 70proof on Monday 20th November 05:02

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 21st January 2018
quotequote all
https://www.facebook.com/SikhYouthBirmingham/video...

not the norf, in London last week

It's an emerging trend, sad reflection on society today

Edited by 70proof on Sunday 21st January 11:32

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 21st January 2018
quotequote all
stuckmojo said:
Jesus Christ. However, all that CCTV and not even an anti snap door lock?
Agree door bypassed way too easy but given it was 7pm and armed with machetes not sure if a tougher door was going to stop them

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 21st January 2018
quotequote all
lexi 1 said:
70 Proof

Not sure if anyone else has asked but what actually happended to you ?
had a golf r stolen from street outside my house, was not a relay steal as car was not keyless, still not sure how they did it, though i'm convinced it was a prospective buyer off autotrader. admiral settled at a good price within a week, just glad they didnt break in for the keys.

like the look of this over a ghost device...
http://www.clifford.co.uk/ProductPages/Accessories...

for various reasons now have a ds4 as a daily and it does the job tbh.

Edited by 70proof on Sunday 21st January 20:19

70proof

Original Poster:

6,053 posts

156 months

Sunday 21st January 2018
quotequote all
johnwilliams77 said:
Do you know how far the key needs to be from the car before the 'signal boost' becomes 'too far'?
up to 100m!! https://www.contracthireandleasing.com/car-leasing...

... the relay thing i suppose will be dependant on the receiving and sending range of the ariel the scrotes use....

trick here i assume is to park on street away from your house, then they defo will not be able to relay compared to say a car on the drive... maybe insurers will actually reverse old risk trends and make on street parking cheaper wrt to premium risk

Edited by 70proof on Sunday 21st January 21:20