Bolesławiec police officers warn against car thieves who use new technologies to commit crimes. Cars without keys are increasingly appearing on the market, and they are attracting considerable interest from criminals who intercept the signal from the vehicle’s proximity key.
Thieves using the “relay attack” method not only take advantage of opportunities when an owner leaves a vehicle in a car park while going shopping. Criminals also exploit the fact that a vehicle key or card may be left in a place where its signal can be detected from outside—for example, near a door or window. In such a situation, thieves do not even have to approach the victim.
Police advise against placing the key near the entrance, in the hallway, on a windowsill or even beside an exterior wall of the building. It is best to put the key in a metal box or a special case, or wrap it in aluminium foil. It is also a good idea to buy a special case or other container for the vehicle’s proximity key that blocks radio signals and reduces the risk of thieves intercepting the signal emitted by the key.