Relay Theft: Mom’s Warning About Criminals Targeting Unkeyed Cars

A mother has spoken about the “creepy” moment a thief was able to steal her car without a key.

Sarah Baxter, of Henley, was feeding her baby in the early hours when her Mercedes was stolen earlier this month.

Keyless car systems require a remote for the car to detect and unlock, rather than a key to physically unlock it.

The man who stole Mrs. Baxter’s car used a technique called relay theft, in which a metal ring is used to detect and amplify the signal from a remote control.

This technique means thieves don’t need to steal a key or break into a property, but can instead use a loop of wire near a house’s doors and windows to find a remote control signal.

It comes after the AA said car theft numbers were “in danger of spiraling out of control.”

The motorists’ organization is urging police to take action after Home Office figures revealed that 130,389 cars were reported stolen in 2022, an increase of 26% compared to the 104,435 reported in 2021.

Ms Baxter discovered that the burglars had used the relay attack technique after her doorbell’s CCTV captured a man approaching her home.

She said, “So you can see a gentleman coming up to our side door and holding something, like a big loop of wire, it looks like some kind of broken hula hoop, to detect the keys and then amplify the radar of this system without key. to then make the car think the key is next to it and then unlock the car and start the engine.”

Ms. Baxter’s Mercedes was one of nine vehicles attacked by thieves in the Henley area in early May.

“He was up and down every few hours, like a two-week-old baby, and was actually awake when the car was driven away.

“It just feels a little creepy because the window was open and he was right below doing that, it just feels more intrusive.”

Thames Valley Police said they were conducting a full investigation into the theft of Ms Baxter’s car and had increased active patrols in the area in a bid to catch the offenders.

Explaining the relay thefts, the motoring organization said: “It only takes two thieves and a little bit of technology to trick your car into thinking you’re still standing next to it with the key in your pocket.”

“One, near the car, captures the low power signal from your car and transmits it to a device carried by another, near you. The signal from the key to unlock the car and start the engine is transmitted back.”

Thieves can also access a vehicle’s on-board diagnostics (OBD) port – a standard socket fitted to all cars for garages to connect their fault finding equipment and ‘interference’ is another problem.

This involves thieves targeting specific vehicles using a transmitter to block the signal from your key when you point it at your car to lock it, so you think it’s locked but it’s not.

Jack Cousens, the AA’s chief of highway policy, said that as automakers constantly improve safety systems, thieves keep up with a variety of high-tech methods to elude them.

He explained: “They’re using relay stealing, but also cloning keys, jamming signals, all kinds of advanced smart technology.

“We need to see more effort from manufacturers to beef up their security. We also need police crime commissioners and police to get auto crime higher on their agenda in terms of addressing this issue.”

“But also consumers can take some responsibility in terms of making their car really hard to steal.”

Car Magazine’s Ryan Gilmore said steering wheel locks work well for keyless cars, but the “vital” element to improving security is a Faraday cage.

“These devices are just boxes or bags that you put your car keys in and they basically limit any signal going in or out,” he said.

Gilmore said this meant that thieves attempting a relay attack would have no way of penetrating the Faraday cage and gaining access to the car.

He urged keyless car owners to take extra steps because while car companies were introducing features to help, “Overall it’s a very easy system to use and access.”