New car unlocking scam

bowthruster · 19-12-12, 07:53 PM

Just had this sent to me,Dont know how true this is,but it seems possible...

"I locked my car. As I walked away I heard my car door unlock.

I went back and locked my car again three times.

Each time, as soon as I started to walk away, I could hear it unlock again!! Naturally alarmed, I looked around and there were two men sitting in a car next to the Store.

They were obviously watching me intently, and there seemed no doubt they were somehow involved in this very weird situation.

I quickly abandoned my errand, jumped into my car and sped away.

I went straight to the police station, told them what had happened, and found out I was part of a new, and very successful, scheme being used to gain entry into parked cars.

Two weeks later, my friend's son had a similar experience....While travelling; he stopped at a motorway service area to use the toilet.

When he came out to his car less than 5 minutes later, someone had managed to get into his car and had stolen his mobile phone, laptop computer, sat-nav, briefcase and other belongings.

He called the police and since there were no signs of his car having been broken into, the police told him he had probably been a victim of the latest robbery tactic – there is a device that robbers are using now to clone your security code when you lock your doors on your car using your remote locking device.

They sit a distance away and watch for their next victim. They know you are going inside the Store, restaurant, or whatever and that they now have a few minutes to steal and run.

The police officer said always to lock your car manually with the key when parking in a public area. That way if there is someone sitting in a car nearby watching for their next victim, it will not be you.

When you lock up with the key upon exiting, it does not send the security code, but if you walk away and use the remote button, it sends the code through the airwaves where it can be easily intercepted by the device.

This is very real. Be aware of what you just read and please pass this information on.

Look how many times we all lock our doors with our remote just to be sure we remembered to lock them -- and bingo, someone has our code...and potentially whatever is in our car."

Please share with everyone you know in the hope that we can frustrate these thieves.

ZS · 19-12-12, 08:07 PM

Surely if the alarm is any good it would encode the key and randomise it? Like any good encryption algorithm and once used that code cannot be used again... in which case this method listed above would not work.

petet16 · 19-12-12, 08:08 PM

I'm thinking this is very old news, like from the 1980's when remote central locking had one code.

Yampiedog · 19-12-12, 08:09 PM

Don't leave valuables in your car either...

Nobrainer · 19-12-12, 08:16 PM

And it wouldn't work with rovers unless they parked right next to you. I can't lock the car from more than a yard away!

M17TT180 · 19-12-12, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nobrainer

And it wouldn't work with rovers unless they parked right next to you. I can't lock the car from more than a yard away!

So true!

Smokey · 19-12-12, 08:25 PM

Unless you bought the new flip fob....I can lock my car from 2 yards away!!

daytona365 · 19-12-12, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M17TT180

So true!

Very true.

But on a serious note. with modern sophisicated scanners they can run throught the various codes sent out and if they get lucky then your door reopens. Saw it being tried at out local police workshop. One of their cars, they reopened within a minute, while another stayed shut for 5mins. Computers work so fast, that they only have to register the wavelength signal, then just basically "try every combination" bit like us trying to open a briefcase.

Mind you if I saw some one staring at my car, Id never leave it alone, unless they were admiring the glorious TY paint lol..

butch1205 · 19-12-12, 08:28 PM

Lol good point I need to nearly sit on the wing mirror before mine will open with the fob on my zs

Noobrider · 19-12-12, 08:44 PM

Rover randomizes the code every time you press the button, then again if you lock your car on the key too many times you might lose the code. Bit of scare mongering to be honest. These days most cars can't be entered without the actual key for the car hence so many burglaries for car keys