How safe do you think your car is once its locked ?

20,568
19,509
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
http://www.today.com/news/police-admit-theyre-stumped-mystery-car-thefts-6C10169993
There's  a  new wave of auto thefts that police can't figure out. So  could you be at risk? TODAY National Investigative Correspondent Jeff Rossen looked into it.

This is a real mystery. You think when you lock your car and set the alarm, your car is pretty safe. But criminals have designed a new high-tech gadget giving them full access to your car. It's so easy, it's like the criminals have your actual door remote. Police are so baffled they want to see if you can help crack the case.

A Long Beach, Calif., surveillance video shows a thief approaching a locked SUV in a driveway. Police say he's carrying a small device in the palm of his hand. You can barely see it, but he aims it at the car and pops the locks electronically. He's in, with access to everything. No commotion at all.

Then his accomplice shows up and hits another car, using that same handheld device.

Know a scam? Been ripped off? To email Rossen Reports, click here.

Long Beach Deputy Police Chief David Hendricks is mystified. "This is bad in the sense we're stumped," he told us. "We are stumped and we don't know what this technology is."

He said it's almost like the thieves are cloning your car remote, which is virtually impossible to do. Here's why: On most cars, when you hit the unlock button, it sends a code to the car. That code is encrypted and constantly changing — and should be hackproof.

Jim Stickley is one of the country's leading security experts. He's watched the tapes, and he's stumped too.

"This is really frustrating because clearly they've figured out something that looks really simple and whatever it is they're doing, it takes just seconds to do," Stickley said. "And you look and you go, 'That should not be possible.'"

It's happening from California to Illinois. Michael Shin's home security camera caught a crook breaking into his Honda Accord using a similar device. But you'd never know it. On the video, the crook looks like the owner of the car, unlocking the doors remotely. The thief stole cash and an expensive cell phone.

"I felt pretty unsafe," Shin said. "It was shocking. It just opens magically without him having to do anything."

Adding to the mystery, police say the device works on some cars but not others. Other surveillance videos show thieves trying to open a Ford SUV and a Cadillac, with no luck. But an Acura SUV and sedan pop right open. And they always seem to strike on the passenger side. Investigators don't know why.

"We've reached out to the car manufacturers, the manufacturers of the vehicle alarm systems: Nobody seems to know what this technology is," Hendricks told us. "When you look at the video and you see how easy it is, it's pretty unnerving."

This is so new, police don't know how widespread it is. But no question, they're desperate to track down one of these devices so they can see how it works.

Until then, here's the takeaway: Police say, don't leave anything valuable in your car, even if it's parked in your own driveway. That includes your garage door opener, because if the thieves get that, they're suddenly in your house. Also, keep your car registration in your wallet; don't leave it in the glove compartment. Police say with that information, criminals can steal your identity.

But right now, the priority for police is finding this device so they can figure out what it is. If you have any information that could help, we want to hear from you. Click here to send us an email.
 
damn  
eek.gif
 
Had my car hit earlier this year. Actually around the same time as the surveillance video. Three other people at my complex that I know of also got hit. No signs of forced entry on any of us.
 
Nothing is "hack proof".

But yeah no more leaving my bag in my car overnight. I shouldn't be doing it anywy
 
So, it just unlocks the car. Basically imitates the key. The only thing you can't do is start it but, what happens if you have a push start car? Hypothetically speaking. I know no ones knows what the device is that they're using.
 
Had my car hit earlier this year. Actually around the same time as the surveillance video. Three other people at my complex that I know of also got hit. No signs of forced entry on any of us.

that sucks.
 
I live in a pretty well off neighborhood and people seem to leave their doors open for some idiotic reason.. One night some dudes came thru and took everything and left all the doors open so the owners could see in the morning :rofl: I never leave anything in my car tho, never know what can happen now with that stuff happening
 
that is really crazy, and the fact that it only opens the passenger side? They it's sophisticated tech, and for some reason didn't work on the Caddy or the Ford. I hope they can crack this open because I'm really interested.
 
I live in a pretty well off neighborhood and people seem to leave their doors open for some idiotic reason.. One night some dudes came thru and took everything and left all the doors open so the owners could see in the morning
roll.gif
I never leave anything in my car tho, never know what can happen now with that stuff happening
pimp.gif
 taught them a lesson. i knew about this awhile back but didnt thing it was picking up that much. All it takes is a shady person at the dealership or service station to get the key fob program and boom. 
 
not safe at all. i got my car broken into twice. once they borke the window and the second time they poped the handels
 
Device could be similar to the one used in Gone in 60 Seconds where they were sitting outside of the lady's house waiting for her to close the garage to capture the code.
 
While at Disneyland my electronic key actually unlocked a car that was parked next to mine. Every time I hit the unlock button the other car would unlock as well lol. It was nuts. Made sure to lock the other car when I left.
 
If you smart enough to develop this device for evil why not use that intelligence to do something good?
 
UHm even I know that its a phone app out right now that can do this, why cant the police figure it out?. The theif have a phone in his hand
 
I leave my key in my car with my doors unlocked and my wallet inside. Lol I'm srs. I'm so bad with car keys and wallet so I always do that. Depends where you live? Anyways I know I know.....
 
Back
Top Bottom