Remote jamming still a major problem for city’s residents
Police in the city warned motorists to be extra careful when locking their cars.
POLOKWANE – Police in the city warned motorists to be extra careful when locking their cars.
Police spokesperson, capt Ntobeng Phala, said the number of cases where items were stolen from cars after said cars’ remote locking systems were jammed by criminals increased in the last few months.
This kind of theft was of great concern to residents who said their insurance companies would not pay out if thieves gained access to the vehicle using this technique.
The technique is simple. Criminals use electronic gate remote controls to interfere with cars’ remote locking systems, jamming the signal that the cars’ remote controls send to the locking systems.
The cars stay unlocked while the motorists think their cars are safely locked, making it easy for criminals to open the doors.
According to Phala, this strategy first reared its ugly head in 2009.
He said the criminals follow their victims to establish a routine to ensure that they have enough time to get away after the theft.
Joah Naidoo told Review he became the victim of this type of crime a few months ago when he parked outside a restaurant in the city and his car’s remote locking system was jammed.
“I left my laptop in the boot, taking the advice of friends who said I should never leave valuable items in full view in the car.
“When I returned from lunch, the laptop was gone,” he said.
“This left me with a loss of income as all my information on my clients and businesses was on the laptop.
“I had to fork out cash to get the locks at my house changed, because my house keys were in the laptop bag and I couldn’t take the chance.
“The insurance company did not want to pay out a cent.”.
Phala urged the public to always manually make sure that their vehicles were locked after using the remote locking system.
He said motorists should avoid parking in remote or dark areas as far as possible.
“Be aware of your surroundings and make sure that you are not followed or watched when you exit your car,” he warned.
