Keyless car theft has never been so easy

I see the builders around here fit a large locked-on wheel clamp, like a parking infringement "boot", to their trailers when left unhitched and unattended on site etc. Might be worth engineering something of the sort.

Bit of a pain walking about with a microwave under your arm though

A tin box like a tea caddy will work just as well. Also keeping keys away from accesible doors and walls. Even a open metal container like a bowl will help. They are short range devices. Also these thefts tend to be from drives. This allows the theives to associate the vehicle with the property and give them some cover. But as has been said, if they really want a particular vehicle it is nearly impossible to stop them.

Robert.

Burglars likely to try you grandparents hiding places first, so Don't! Tea caddy, bottom of wardrobe, tops of wall cupboards.

I keep my keys in my pocket as much as poss and take them with me, then I know where they are.

I think that car keys could be lobbed into any old tin whilst at home and they would be safe from transmitting.

John

My suggestion of a tin was for shielding, not hiding. Unfortunatly there have been cases of armed persons just demanding the keys. Best advice in that case is to hand them over.

Robert.

I once watched a movie at Warwick University Arts Centre (just to demonstrate that I am cultured) and afterwards returned to my Cortina estate and started it up... I was about to drive off when i realised it was rather tidy inside. I sheepishly got out and found my own, scruffier, example.

Some years earlier, a mate of mine had a Hillman Avenger. I started it by using a dead matchstick to turn the ignition.

Neil

Unlocked and got into my cortina then tried to put the key into the ignition but it wouldn't work

I'd unlocked the door with the petrol cap key which was about half the size

I own a Ducati Multistrada 1200 S touring. 2017. I also own a 2016 Vauxhall Vivaro Bi turbo 170 bhp. I also own a 2017 Jaguar 5.0 AWD F-type Jaguar.|Plus I do all my banking on my Phone. I have never had any problems with someone trying to steal my identity or anything else. Old farts society is unfortunately a falicy. Have an old computer & a duff old phone if you will. But In this modern world you need to get real. I also have the latest software to keep me safe . I use Bitdefender. Stay safe guys & sorry if you think the world is after you, but matbe there not.

Regards from Steviegtr.

A colleagues wife worked at Pucklechurch Prison when it specialised in young offenders. She taught her husband all her boys knew about twocking, Taking Without Consent, and he became the go to guy at work whenever people lost keys or locked themselves out of their cars. (Top quality design made it simple to lock cars with the keys inside.) Anyway, not difficult to get into cars made well into my middle age with a hook made from a coat hanger, and even easier with a length of strip steel with a notch in it. Also easy to hot-wire cars - the cables weren't protected. Hope they're better made now, but a fit young man could defeat most 20th century ignition locks simply by wrenching the steering wheel. Anyone could do it with a crowbar!

I don't think twocking was high-skilled work. My mate lent me his 750cc mini, the early model that opened the doors by pulling cords. Late for work, I rushed up to it and opened the door with what turned out to be my cheapo briefcase key. Didn't even look like a car key! The lock must have been very basic.

Dave

How do you deal with emails, when a company wants a scan of your passport, or other personal data, address, bank account number, for example?

Not having a go at all; genuine question. Do you use encryption software or something?

I have scanned & sent a few documents like my Passport & driving licence. The people who required them do not use any sort of encription.

As said I use Bitdefender total security & it looks after the P.C. Plus i have it on my Phone too. Before that I had a large amount of money paid out of my Paypal account. Luckily I did not loose any money & Paypal stopped the payments going out. So that is when I decided to get better security.

All my e-mails are scanned when received etc. I know it is a nasty place to be in but life must go on. It is more difficult too now because all the Banks have closed down. The nearest one to me now is nearly 20 miles away & impossible to park due to location.

If the thieves big loop not only opens and starts the car it must also continue to transmit as they drive away or otherwise the car would start beeping etc as does my Toyota if I walk away with the engine running

Ah OK. So you HAVE had people trying to steal things from you electronically, (via Paypal).

And you don't worry about hackers intercepting scans of passport and driving licence etc. in open emails? It's something that worries me.

Apple iMessage is encrypted between Apple devices.

Do people actually intercept emails containing passport details etc?? 

Tony

Edited By Tony Pratt 1 on 01/06/2023 17:45:27

You probably want to worry less about the chances of interception, and more about the security of the people asking.

One of my pension providers has just let me know that they have been hacked, and some of my personal data “exfiltrated” (i.e. accessed and/or copied) by the hackers.

Lots of reassuring words follow, and a free one year subscription to an identity theft monitoring service! But ho-hum.

Newspapers, despite their protestations are doing it all the time. It's their main source of information. They don't do it directly of course. They employ "private detectives" on their behalf so the higher echelons can claim ignorance. Bank accounts, mobile phones are all accessible if you know what you're doing. Laptops can be hacked and keystrokes recorded. The best ones leave no trace so the person thinks their security measures are excellent.

When I get in, I put the key to my modern in an old tobacco tin. The battery has been taken out of the spare.

How do we cope nowadays without tobacco tins? Years ago I bought a job lot of taps and dies, all of which came in their own St. Bruno tins - BSF, Whit, BSP, etc.

So do radio keys transmit permanently then, or only when you use them?

It seems odd all this keeping the thing in a tap-&-die tin, the microwave oven or the like if the thing is effectively "off" until you point it vaguely at your car and press the button. Otherwise you'd be continually having to recharge it.

So to clear a few things up. My Ducati motorcycle is keyless as such As long as I have the key close to the bike I can activate the handlebar ignition to turn on. It will then start at the touch of the starter button. If My key is on the shelf in the garage, around 6 feet away it does not work. The car works completely different & I assume all modern Jaguar Landrover vehicles work the same. I have to press unlock on the remote, I guess this is only active with the press of the said button. Although If i approach my car & touch the door handle the car unlocks. You then of course have the imobiliser within the key which has been law for many years on all vehicles, which stopped most joyriders from knicking your prized posession. Again for this to work I need to be near the car. If more than say 3 feet away it will not work. Also if I unlock my car & leave the key outside the car. It will not start & says key not found

The van has a remote unlock on the key & only works at a press of the unlock button. Then the standard imobiliser, as in the key has to be within a few inches of the ignition barrel for it to work. Which the car & bike do not. Just in the vicinity.

Might I add the few stolen vehicles that this thread mentions are from people who leave their keys in a coat pocket or near the door. Which is asking for trouble.

Using your phone for banking etc. This is my go to. Pretty much no other option with most Banks closed etc. After my bad experience some years ago with paypal I now have double activation. If on the pc I have to put a code in which is sent to my phone to prove it is me. All my important apps on the phone, banking etc are protected with fingerprint activation. Plus Bitdefender is always active & scanning for scams etc.

If you do not have a modern phone with the latest updates then i'm not sure of the protection. I have seen some folk post threads on using windows 7 etc. Again probably not a wise choice if you want the best in security. I am running Window 11 with full complete security software , which does regular updates. Believe me guys it is not that expensive to use the latest software.

Stay safe guys. Just on a note. Due to this thread. Me & my ex, now landlady Bev taking me for a delicious KFC tonight. When she held her credit card to the machine i looked behind me just to make sure there was noone with a wire coathanger or magic box scanning her card.

Steve.

Edited By Steviegtr on 04/06/2023 01:08:16