Hole beneath your car door lock - Thief Warning
Discussion
Probably b
ks and what's more it's American bks, but I share it with you none the less.
Hole Under Door Lock
Wednesday, I approached my car from the passenger side to place
my computer bag in the front passenger seat.
As I reached to open the door I noticed there was a hole right
under my door handle.
My first thought was, "someone has shot the car !"
I began to think about it and inspect it a little closer and
the "light" slowly began to dawn.
I phoned a friend who owns a body shop and asked if he had any
vehicles with damage to the doors that looked like a bullet hole.
"Yes, I see it all the time. Thieves have a punch and place it
right under the door handle, knock a hole through, reach in and
unlock it, just as if they have a key. No alarms, broken glass,
or anything."
I then placed a call to my insurance agent and explained it to
him. I was puzzled that they left my GPS and all other belongings.
Here is where it gets scary !
"Oh no, he said, they want the break-in to be so subtle that you
don't even realize it. They look at your GPS to see where "home"
is. Or check your address from Insurance and Registration documants in your glove box.
Now they know what you drive, go to your home, and if your
vehicle isn't there they assume you aren't, and break into your home."
He said they will even leave a purse or wallet and only take one
or two credit cards. By the time you realize there has been a
theft, they may have already had a couple of days or more to
use them.
(I didn't realize my situation for two full days!)
They even give you the courtesy of re-locking your doors for you.
Periodically, walk around your car, especially after you park
in a shopping center or other large parking area.
Report thefts immediately....your bank w/missing check numbers,
your credit card agencies, police, and insurance companies, etc.
One would have to look pretty darn close to notice a hole like that. If the hole was on the passenger side I would never see.
[The pic shows a very small punch hole hard against the underside of a door handle/lock assembly & I can't be bothered to load the piccy here as I'm feeling lethargic]
ks and what's more it's American bks, but I share it with you none the less.Hole Under Door Lock
Wednesday, I approached my car from the passenger side to place
my computer bag in the front passenger seat.
As I reached to open the door I noticed there was a hole right
under my door handle.
My first thought was, "someone has shot the car !"
I began to think about it and inspect it a little closer and
the "light" slowly began to dawn.
I phoned a friend who owns a body shop and asked if he had any
vehicles with damage to the doors that looked like a bullet hole.
"Yes, I see it all the time. Thieves have a punch and place it
right under the door handle, knock a hole through, reach in and
unlock it, just as if they have a key. No alarms, broken glass,
or anything."
I then placed a call to my insurance agent and explained it to
him. I was puzzled that they left my GPS and all other belongings.
Here is where it gets scary !
"Oh no, he said, they want the break-in to be so subtle that you
don't even realize it. They look at your GPS to see where "home"
is. Or check your address from Insurance and Registration documants in your glove box.
Now they know what you drive, go to your home, and if your
vehicle isn't there they assume you aren't, and break into your home."
He said they will even leave a purse or wallet and only take one
or two credit cards. By the time you realize there has been a
theft, they may have already had a couple of days or more to
use them.
(I didn't realize my situation for two full days!)
They even give you the courtesy of re-locking your doors for you.
Periodically, walk around your car, especially after you park
in a shopping center or other large parking area.
Report thefts immediately....your bank w/missing check numbers,
your credit card agencies, police, and insurance companies, etc.
One would have to look pretty darn close to notice a hole like that. If the hole was on the passenger side I would never see.
[The pic shows a very small punch hole hard against the underside of a door handle/lock assembly & I can't be bothered to load the piccy here as I'm feeling lethargic]
Remarkably, for one of these circulating stories, this one is plausible!
http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/handle.asp
http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/handle.asp
This is something I remember hearing about perhaps 20 years ago. It was possible to break into cars with unshielded locks back in the day by drilling a hole either directly beneath the keyhole or the door handle (on an 80s Sierra I believe you had to drill beneath the keyhole). Although back then it was to get into the car to steal it, not to grab laptops and sat-nav! 
I suppose in theory it remains possible if locks are not properly shielded, but when I originally heard about this, I was told that lock design changes and decent shielding were used on all new cars.
So I don't think it's likely any more.
I suppose in theory it remains possible if locks are not properly shielded, but when I originally heard about this, I was told that lock design changes and decent shielding were used on all new cars.
So I don't think it's likely any more.
If I'm a thief and i want to burgle you i will just wait until you go out and switch your lights off as i will assume that you are not going to sit in the dark...unless that is i am a stupid american thief, apparently, in which case i will go to the trouble of punching a hole in your car door in broad day light (I assume as this is during the day time as I am not going to do this outside your home because of the next point), getting in your car in the hope that there is some documentation to suggest where you live, then using my cunning i will re-lock your car doors so you don't notice my little fact finding endeavor.
What absolute nonsense
My neighbour has just bought a 7 year old work van and the same thing has been done to it previously
But the hole is under the sliding door on the side of the van.
But I don't know if anyone managed to get it.
Luckily it's white so a quick builder bodge with some white kitchen and bathroom sealant should sort it.
But the hole is under the sliding door on the side of the van.
But I don't know if anyone managed to get it.
Luckily it's white so a quick builder bodge with some white kitchen and bathroom sealant should sort it.
One of the scumbags who was a few years above me at school served time for something similar about 1998, less subtle though. He would break into a car just after the owners got out of sight heading towards the shops and then figure he had enough time to go to their house, ransack it and disappear before they returned. One day didn't.
ETA, didn't perhaps make clear that he would also take the car.
ETA, didn't perhaps make clear that he would also take the car.
.....and if this happens at night, don't, absolutely DO NOT flash any cars coming towards you with their lights off.
They will certainly machine gun you to death if ya do.
Yankee twoddle, enough to stiltify their almost dullified brains into a scramble.
LOLLO Yankees.
Welcome to Loserville.
Pop: You
They will certainly machine gun you to death if ya do.
Yankee twoddle, enough to stiltify their almost dullified brains into a scramble.
LOLLO Yankees.
Welcome to Loserville.
Pop: You
Whilst this kind of stuff might happen in industrial espionage etc 99.99% of the time a thief will just knock your door and ask for Dave / Pete etc if you are in.
Dad has a farm and we gets coming up the 100+m drive every few months - when you approach them they simply ask if we're selling eggs.
Dad has a farm and we get
s coming up the 100+m drive every few months - when you approach them they simply ask if we're selling eggs. andy43 said:
tigger1 said:
Late 90s it was still possible to punch through below a lock and open the door that way. Doubt you can on a more modern car.
You used to be able to get steel covers to go around MkII Golf handles after a break in to cover up the damage and stop it happening again.
I watched at 3am after being woken by the sound of muted voices, saw 3 blokes do exactly this to the neighbours golf.
shouted at them, they f
ked off at full pelt. This happened years ago to my older brothers E34 5 series. Think it was back I'm 2002 or 3.
They drilled a hole in the door handle on the black bit the opposite side of the key hole. Those of you who know
E34's will probably know what I mean. And from there they lifted the metal rod that pushes the door pin
Up and down. Got in silently during the night and stole his top of the range Sony head unit at the time.
Kimmy
They drilled a hole in the door handle on the black bit the opposite side of the key hole. Those of you who know
E34's will probably know what I mean. And from there they lifted the metal rod that pushes the door pin
Up and down. Got in silently during the night and stole his top of the range Sony head unit at the time.
Kimmy
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