By CRM Staff
Toronto, Ontario — December 5, 2018 — Car thefts in Toronto are up 30 percent compared to this time last year and wireless key fobs are playing a major part.
According to Markham automotive security specialist and Lockdown Security owner Jeff Bates, cars are being stolen at a higher rate thanks in part to a method known as “relay theft.”
The process works by a thief bringing a relay box close to the home’s front door, or area of the house where the keys are sitting. From here the device can intercept and reroute the key fob’s signal, allowing the thief to drive away with the car without needing a key.
“The way that the thieves are getting around this is they’re essentially amplifying that low power signal coming off of the push start fob,” Bates told CBC.
“They will prey upon the general consensus that most people are leaving their key fobs close to the front door of their home and that the vehicle will be in the driveway.”
Bates explained that the automotive industry made the trade-off when it first introduced the push-start fob, of putting convenience over security. Vehicle manufacturers are currently looking into ways to fix fob vulnerabilities, but Bates believes that there are basic tips that every owner should follow in order to increase their vehicle’s security.
“If you do live in a house, try to leave your keys either upstairs or … as far away from the vehicle as possible,” Bates told CBC.
“The other thing that you can do is there are products out there that you can put your key fob into,” such as a Faraday cage — a box used to block radio signals — a key pouch, which works similarly, or even a steel box.
These tips will become increasing more important as more and more new vehicles are equipped with remote start fobs.
“I think it’s going to continue to happen and I don’t think we’ve seen the end of it. I think it’s going to be even more and more prevalent,” Bates said.
