Bolesławiec District Police Headquarters:
Cars without traditional keys are appearing on the market more and more often, and they are attracting considerable interest from criminals who intercept the signal from a vehicle’s proximity key.
If we have a modern vehicle equipped with a so-called keyless system, we should consider protecting the card, as criminals may try to read its data.
The “relay attack” method
Police officers: – Thieves using the “relay attack” method do not only take advantage of opportunities when the owner leaves the vehicle in a car park while going shopping. Criminals also exploit the fact that keys or a vehicle card may be left in a place where their signal can be detected from outside – for example, near a door or window. In such a situation, thieves do not even need to approach the victim.
What does the police advise?
- keys should not be placed near the entrance, in the hallway, on a windowsill or even next to an exterior wall of the building. It is best to put the key in a metal box, a special case or wrap it in aluminium foil
- it is a good idea to buy a special case or other container for a vehicle’s proximity key that blocks radio signals and reduces the risk of thieves intercepting the signal emitted by the key.