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Tuesday / 12 November 2024
HomeFeaturesHow to spot a car thief in South Africa

How to spot a car thief in South Africa

Criminals in South Africa are using more elaborate methods to steal cars that often involve tailing a victim through public areas.

These techniques require the use of computers and other technology to copy motorists’ keys in order to unlock their cars, but thieves need to get close to do so.

What to watch out for

Tracker Connect COO Duma Ngcobo recently spoke on Cape Talk about how car thieves in South Africa are increasingly using two different high-tech approaches to replicate the signal produced by an owner’s car keys, otherwise known as a fob.

These methods are known as “signal relay” and “canvas” attacks, both of which bypass the sophisticated security systems in modern vehicles.

The important thing to note about a relay attack is that it requires the perpetrator to be close to the victim, as they are trying to hijack the signal emitted by your fob.

This means that car thieves using this method will often follow you around a public venue like a mall or shopping centre, and are typically carrying a laptop with a receiver concealed in a backpack.

Key fobs are constantly emitting a unique signal that is picked up by their respective cars, which is how remote central locking systems work.

It’s also how keyless entry systems on new models are able to detect when the owner is approaching and automatically unlock the doors.

The laptop amplifier attempts to pick up this signal and relay it back to the car in the parking lot, where a receiver or second perpetrator is waiting to transfer the signal to a new key.

Ngcobo didn’t elaborate on how canvas attacks are performed, but said that these attacks use similar tech to the ones used in relay thefts.

While these gadgets should be illegal to sell in South Africa, they are still easy to obtain from the dark web, shady dealers, and even a few reputable outlets.

“There are various malls where it’s actually illegal to sell these gadgets, but they’re relatively easy to purchase,” said Ngcobo.

The cheapest devices go for a few thousand rands, but the most sophisticated equipment can command a price tag well over R100,000.

Vehicles with keyless entry are particularly vulnerable to these criminal methods, which is why several insurance companies in South Africa recommend that motorists disable their keyless entry and push-button start systems, according to MyBroadband.

Keyless entry is a convenience feature intended to help owners carrying items from needing to dig the fob out of their pocket to unlock their car, which means it’s inessential to the functionality of the vehicle.

King Price, Momentum, Naked, and Outsurance all recommend that users permanently disable their keyless entry systems, which may be done using the infotainment screen on some models.

Alternatively, a dealership should be able to assist customers with turning off the function.

Another suggestion is that owners who either can’t or don’t want to disable their car’s keyless entry should put the fob in a Faraday pouch, whether it’s stored in a handbag or pocket.

A Faraday pouch uses a conductive metal lining that blocks the radio waves emitted by the fob, meaning that criminals cannot amplify and hijack the signal.

These pouches can be bought from retailers like Makro and Takelot for as little as R100.

A few modern fobs also use motion-tracking tech to disable their signals when stationary for long periods of time, but this won’t prevent a criminal following you in a mall from copying the transmission while you’re walking around.

The single most important thing that you can do to prevent this type of car theft is to pay attention to your surroundings and see if anyone is following you, possibly with a bag that could be concealing a signal amplifying device.

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