British motorists are facing a concerning reality check following a disturbing incident captured on video where thieves stole a woman’s car by duplicating her keys while she was asleep at home.
Sophisticated devices that replicate signals from keyless entry fobs are now being utilized by criminal groups to carry out vehicle thefts across the UK. Owners are expressing shock at the realization that modern cars can be stolen using this method.
In a troubling doorbell footage from Wolverhampton, a masked individual is seen using a cloning device to unlock a car parked outside Abbie Brookes-Morris’s residence late at night before driving off within seconds. Despite later recovering her car, it was left inoperable due to the theft technique employed.
Describing the incident as an “invasion,” Brookes-Morris emphasized the speed at which the criminals acted, taking only two minutes to steal the vehicle. Similar thefts have been reported in various regions, prompting Nottinghamshire Police to seek public assistance in locating suspects involved in a keyless car theft in Awsworth.
Jake Lambert, an expert in temporary car insurance at Tempcover, highlighted the escalating trend of keyless car thefts as a wake-up call for drivers, indicating a shift towards more organized and rapid criminal activities. These thefts, conducted using relay amplifiers, can bypass factory security measures within minutes, despite manufacturers’ claims of robustness. Criminals are known to trade relay amplifiers online, with prices exceeding £20,000 each.
To combat this rising threat, the government is considering legislation to prohibit the possession and distribution of ‘vehicle theft equipment,’ including relay devices and signal jammers, carrying a maximum sentence of five years. Lambert recommended practical preventive measures for keyless car owners, such as storing fobs in Faraday pouches or using steering wheel locks.
Recent data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales revealed that remote locking devices were implicated in 40% of vehicle thefts, with signal jammers reportedly used in approximately 60% of London car thefts. Despite a significant number of reported car thefts in the UK, specific statistics on the methods employed were not disclosed.