An alarming number of cases of illegal car entry in small neighbourhood!

[Conor]

Hey guys,

Just seen a post on "Nexdoor" about a car being "broken into" and then others have responded with similar events, on different dates etc.

Is it a case of everybody leaving their car unlock, accidentally, from time to time or what? I asked if they all had keyless entry. One guy responded and said no.

I can't post link, but here are some worthy comments. First is OP, others are replies. I was genuinely shocked by this!

Hey guys, just wondered if anyone say anything suspicious last night / give a warning.

Between 23:00 last night and 08:00 this morning someone has broken into my car parked on ****** road. No obvious damage (99.99% sure I locked the car) but can’t see any other way they’ve managed to get in.

Black Audi, few noticeable fingerprints

Stole some sunglasses and a jacked left in the boot . Luckily no major damage but still feel violated!

Stay safe guys

Had the same experience on ***** avenue same night as you...car was locked too...

Are you new to the area? If so welcome and this is the norm around here. I've had my BMW for 5 years and always park on **** road. Been entered with no damage countless times. You have to accept that your car is a shared space around here as there is literally nothing you can do (believe me I've tried) apart from trying to catch them red handed yourself and probably get yourself incarcerated... Luckily they are nice thieves as they do not cause malicious damage. I've lost a couple of sunglasses, iPods and some chewing gum and change over the years.

They often go through our ancient CD collection and leave them open on the passenger seat in disgust but don't take them. They are not fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber or Robbie Williams ;-).

What the actual hell! I am blown away by the responses here....is anybody else familiar with this phenomenon?

 

[SL63 Mark]

Hey guys,

What the actual hell! I am blown away by the responses here....is anybody else familiar with this phenomenon?

Apparently they steal the code from your fob. Best thing is to keep the fob in a metal container indoors, then they can't read it. Maybe install CCTV outside your house, that might put them off.

 

[Conor]

Apparently they steal the code from your fob. Best thing is to keep the fob in a metal container indoors, then they can't read it. Maybe install CCTV outside your house, that might put them off.

How do they steal the code? Is it for regular fobs too and not just keyless entry?

I was going to suggest a faraday cage type container but I didn't think it was only applicable to keyless.

I wonder how they do this on a busy road with close proximity of houses. The logistics of make seem impossible. Open to correction.

I would love to get to the bottom of this.

 

[LostKiwi]

Faraday cage are only applicable to keyless.
Normal radio fobs use a rolling code which is harder (but not impossible) to spoof.

 

[d215yq]

Faraday cage are only applicable to keyless.
Normal radio fobs use a rolling code which is harder (but not impossible) to spoof.

When in Italy my 1996 W124 was opened and everythign of value stolen. Obviously not modern day sophisticated but the police were not surprised and said that if they know what they are doing they can set-up a device for the rolling codes for any remote unlocking car from 1980 to present day with equipment worth 50 pounds.

We had parked in a car park where you buy tickets from 1-4hours in icnrements of an hour. I wasn't going to pay it being british registered but my friend insisted and we bought a 4hr ticket so they knew no-one would be back for a while...If these guys are doing it during the night and especially in lockdown then they could do it for years and never get caught. No need to cause a noise, to any bystander other than the owner they could own the car, etc. Probably why they never damage them as that causes too much noise/looks suspicious to a passer by.

 

[rorywquin]

How do they steal the code? Is it for regular fobs too and not just keyless entry?

I was going to suggest a faraday cage type container but I didn't think it was only applicable to keyless.

I wonder how they do this on a busy road with close proximity of houses. The logistics of make seem impossible. Open to correction.

I would love to get to the bottom of this.

They have readers and relays. e.g. They can stand outside your house and get the signal (from the fob) and relay it to your car. They can spot you leaving your car at the supermarket carpark follow you, read your fob in the shop (keyless) and relay the signal to an accomplice at your car and bye, bye car.

I opted out of keyless go (on the SL) for this very reason. I've had it on previous cars and don't think that it is a feature that I need to have. Is it really a big deal to grab a key from my pocket and use it to access my car and start it...another invention to fill a need that does not exist.

I does amuse me that the "faraday cage" solution, totally defeats the purpose of "keyless go".

 

[ioweddie]

I thought if you click the lock button twice in quick succession (Beeps Twice not once) They cant nick it

 

[McDonald]

I wonder how they do this on a busy road with close proximity of houses. The logistics of make seem impossible. Open to correction.

I would love to get to the bottom of this.

If they're breaking in but stealing nothing, they're using cars for some other purpose. Adventurous nooky? Cheaper than 'getting a room'. Comfortable solution to homelessness?

 

[AMGeed]

I thought if you click the lock button twice in quick succession (Beeps Twice not once) They cant nick it

That disables Keyless Go on more modern cars Eddie and its very effective. It's easy enough to remember and there is a visible and audible confirmation (3 beeps and 3 flashes of the door mirror indicator on my E63). Then stick the keys in a faraday pouch for back up security. Also have Ghost to immobilize the car without a code.
Makes me laugh hearing these anti keyless go comments when, if you are paranoid, parking up at night just disable it.

 

[Srdl]

This is nothing to do with Keyless Go. These guys pick up the signal from your fob, when you push the buttons to lock or unlock the car, and then, as LK says, use some trickery to generate the right code on their bit of kit so that they can open and shut the car. The rolling code bit is supposed to make this difficult but, as always, the crooks are one step ahead of the car makers' technology.

 

[AMGeed]

I does amuse me that the "faraday cage" solution, totally defeats the purpose of "keyless go".

How does a faraday pouch/cage defeat the purpose of keyless go?
Are you saying we should take a pouch, and put the keys in it wherever we go? Does anyone faf around doing that? I highly doubt it when it can be disabled with the double click of the fob.

You place the keys in there when parked up at night and take them out in the morning and keyless is available again if its not been disabled by the double click method. They are aimed at overnight security for key loggers trying to get codes from your key.

 

[sonic]

Two cars & a motorbike parked in the garage every night, & the garage locked. Never had a problem.
Did 20 years in the police service, never went to a vehicle theft in a garage.

 

[AMGeed]

This is nothing to do with Keyless Go. These guys pick up the signal from your fob, when you push the buttons to lock or unlock the car, and then, as LK says, use some trickery to generate the right code on their bit of kit so that they can open and shut the car. The rolling code bit is supposed to make this difficult but, as always, the crooks are one step ahead of the car makers' technology.

I undersatnd that Steve. My reply was to ioweddie and his comment on disabling KG.

 

[rorywquin]

How does a faraday pouch/cage defeat the purpose of keyless go?
Are you saying we should take a pouch, and put the keys in it wherever we go? ........................ security for key loggers trying to get codes from your key........

If you read my post properly you will see that I referred to the ability to get the key data anywhere. I've read about people using the pouches as you describe. The fact that that you have to remember to "disable" your key is a joke!

 

[Bogus]

Two cars & a motorbike parked in the garage every night, & the garage locked. Never had a problem.
Did 20 years in the police service, never went to a vehicle theft in a garage.

Once this virus thing is over, we need to start a “garage for every home” campaign. maybe get some pensioners to walk round their gardens to raise money. Maybe it needs to be “gardens and garages for every home”. as of course many of those without garages also don't have gardens to walk round.

 

[00slk]

Two cars & a motorbike parked in the garage every night, & the garage locked. Never had a problem.
Did 20 years in the police service, never went to a vehicle theft in a garage.

Interesting that you sat this sonic, as when I changed my insurance policy from vehicle parked on drive to locked garage my premium was increased. When I queried it I was told that more vehicles were stolen from locked garages hence the price increase.
I then asked the chap how many vehicles were stolen from the road side with neon flashing signs on advertising keys in the ignition? Needless to say he just said it was what the insurance council ask to set theirs premium. (Don't insure with these now)
I have told this story a few times on the forum.........

 

[Srdl]

Interesting that you sat this sonic, as when I changed my insurance policy from vehicle parked on drive to locked garage my premium was increased. When I queried it I was told that more vehicles were stolen from locked garages hence the price increase.
I then asked the chap how many vehicles were stolen from the road side with neon flashing signs on advertising keys in the ignition? Needless to say he just said it was what the insurance council ask to set theirs premium. (Don't insure with these now)
I have told this story a few times on the forum.........

A friend told me that it costs more to insure a garaged car because of the damage people do getting their cars in and out of the garage. Have no way to validate that though.

 

[sonic]

Interesting that you sat this sonic, as when I changed my insurance policy from vehicle parked on drive to locked garage my premium was increased. When I queried it I was told that more vehicles were stolen from locked garages hence the price increase.
I then asked the chap how many vehicles were stolen from the road side with neon flashing signs on advertising keys in the ignition? Needless to say he just said it was what the insurance council ask to set theirs premium. (Don't insure with these now)
I have told this story a few times on the forum.........

I often change my quote application from garaged to on the drive, rarely makes much of a difference to the price. But I think location has a much bigger effect on the quotation.
However my motorbike is not insured at home unless its in the garage overnight.

 

[00slk]

A friend told me that it costs more to insure a garaged car because of the damage people do getting their cars in and out of the garage. Have no way to validate that though.

Yes I have heard of this one as well, I'm glad I have parking for 8 cars on the drive

 

[00slk]

I often change my quote application from garaged to on the drive, rarely makes much of a difference to the price. But I think location has a much bigger effect on the quotation.
However my motorbike is not insured at home unless its in the garage overnight.

My guess it depends on the insurer, however work this one out. Both our SL's are insured with the same company, 55 AMG £259 pa, 500 £420 pa same details on both cars
Location does too have a bearing on the cost as you say.
I think I am at the most discounted premium for my age, from now on it will start to increase yearly on premium as I near the more mature sector of life