What is keyless car theft?
Many car key fobs these days allow for ‘keyless entry’, a system in which the car can read the signal of your fob so you can open the door without pressing a button. It’s a handy feature which means you don’t have to take your key out of your pockets – especially useful if your hands are full.
Unfortunately the signal sent out by the fob can be captured by criminals using a cheap and readily available tool called a ‘relay device’. If they capture – or clone – your key’s signal they can then open your car and drive it away, having fooled the car into thinking it was the real key sending the signal.
Are all keyless car fobs at risk of being cloned?
Some are less prone than others. Some manufacturers including BMW, Ford and Audi fit their fobs with motion detectors, so they only work when they are in a person’s pocket or hand, rather than sending out the signal all the time.
Jaguar Land Rover uses a wideband signal which is much harder for a relay device to capture.
Kia issues keys in a Faraday Pouch, which we explain below.
How can you prevent keyless car theft?
The first step is to keep your key fob away from windows and doors when in the house. Thieves often try to capture the key’s signal from outside a house so they know exactly which car the signal belongs to. The car parked on the driveway is likely to be unlocked by the key inside the same house.
Don’t leave car keys by the front door, take them to a room and put them in a drawer. Better yet, keep them in a metal tin. The radio waves can’t get through metal. Some people even keep their car keys in a microwave for this reason.
If you park your car on the road then park it away from your house. That way thieves won’t know which car the signal belongs to, even if they capture it from outside your house.
Invest in something known as a Faraday Pouch, pictured above. This is a small pouch for your keys which is lined with metal foil which, again, the radio waves cannot penetrate. Many people buy wallets lined with metal foil to stop any devices reading their contactless bank card, which works in a similar way to a keyless fob.
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Keyword: How to prevent keyless car thefts