IT IS not a new tactic, but many people are not aware that car thieves are targeting keyless-operating vehicles and stealing them in a matter of seconds. This theft is completely different to remote jamming.
Most vehicle manufacturers have included keyless entry systems on their models to provide car owners with added convenience.
These systems sense when the key fob is nearby and unlock the car doors when the owner pulls on the door handle or touches a sensor on it. The system is convenient as drivers no longer have to search in bags or pockets for keys or put their parcels down first to unlock their vehicle door.
But this convenience has become a cause for concern.
Northglen News spoke to Mark Gullan, owner of Key-Soft, a company that has been specialising in coding and programming transponder keys for most makes of cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles.
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Gullan explained that relay attacks, the name for this type of vehicle theft, usually involve two thieves, each with an electronic device – one to scan the signal from the key fob, and one with a booster unit that repeats the code next to the car door to open it.
“Keyless entry fobs have a range of two to six metres, so a scanner unit need be no farther than this distance to pick up the signal from the key fob in your possession. The distance between the two scanners can be 100 metres or more, depending on the tools used. So, all the thief needs to do is to get close to the fob in your pocket or bag (or your house), and your car is vulnerable,” said Gullan.
When the ‘stolen’ key-fob signal is boosted next to the car, the car thinks it’s the owner who wants access to it. Therefore, the other security systems on the car, such as the alarm and engine immobiliser, aren’t activated when the car is unlocked. If the car has a keyless starting system, this same booster is then used to press the start button to fire up the engine and drive the car away.
Gullan said relay attacks started in the UK back in 2017 and have been snowballing ever since.
“My biggest concern is to let people know about this modus operandi as insurance companies are not notifying their customers. If you have a key fob, it is important to be aware of not letting anyone get within two metres of you or your fob for them to scan the fob’s signal.”
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Near the end of last year, Gullan became the registered agent for the Keyless Protector – a form of clip that easily and quickly can be put on the key-fob battery without interfering with the car’s electrical system.
“This device works on motion sensors. Within 30 steps of the driver exiting and locking the vehicle, the device deactivates the fob’s signal so it cannot be scanned. To reactivate, when the driver is back by the car, they only need to rapidly tap their bag or pocket to unlock, start and drive off in their vehicle.”
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