Car key scanners

xabi_a

I heard a while back that there are scanners now people can use to open your car while your key is in the house. They can hack into the key and activate it to unlock the car. This is assuming your car is within range of the key of course.

I found my car unlocked yesterday, and someone had gone through the glove box. Nothing gone but a few coins. Luckily there was no damage at all.

At first I thought I might have left it unlocked accidentally, but now I suspect such a scanner was used. I can easily unlock my car from within the house (it's in a small driveway right beside the house).

Do people know if this is happening commonly? The good thing is the car can't be driven unless the key is actually in the car.

thebiglad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058361930/car-key-scanners

Get a Faraday box/pouch from Amazon or Temu - put a stop to any concerns.

xabi_a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122439655#Comment_122439655

Yes I just spotted one in Halfords, and I've already reserved it for collection!

Oscar_Madison

I’ve inadvertently unlocked my car many times- keys in pocket whilst sitting down- if there’s other stuff in pocket it can hit off the open button - easily done- could be as simple as that?

I inadvertently left it open overnight about a year ago- it was opened and a few items like sunglasses were taken - so to another car close by to my house- I’ve heard of a “wave” of such attempts in Newbridge and Maynooth areas over last few months(reported in local papers) - so it’s definitely something that’s happening - you may just have been unlucky and that it wasn’t a scanner thingy

xabi_a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122439710#Comment_122439710

Yea agreed, it might have just been me. Anyway, I guess the main lesson is to never leave anything valuable in the car.

GavPJ

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058361930/car-key-scanners

Are you sure you locked it in the first place? Most cars automatically lock again if they

accidently unlocked. They won't automatically lock again unless a door or the boot is opened.

rob316

If you have a keyless entry, they can use a laptop to take the signal off the key in the house and bounce it back to open the car, they don't need the key to start it.

I'd say you just inadvertently unlocked it, someone had a rummage through. The car would of been gone if it was a proper sophisticated thief.

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122439790#Comment_122439790

two expensive pairs of sunglasses taught me that lesson 😀

xabi_a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122439814#Comment_122439814

Not sure… I did a test. I unlocked the car from within the house, then left the key in the house. I could not start the car at all. I remember being told that the key had to be in the proximity of the steering wheel.

I understand the hackers being able to unlock the car, it's just a command and it works from a long distance away. But can they also simulate the key being close to the steering wheel? I'm not sure about that.

xabi_a

Funny thing is, I had a half-decent pair of sunglasses in the car, and they left them on the seat. I'm insulted😄

Clareman

Keyless entry is the problem here, if you are worried about someone doing a relay attack, that's where they have a satellite dish type of yoke next to the door to open the car, or a brute force scan where they use a laptop to send every possible unlock code, just disable it. Alternatively don't keep the keys next to the front door.

In my opinion, if someone is going to be risking a relay or scan attack they aren't just going to go through the glove box for loose change, they have spent a couple of hundred euros on the equipment so will be looking for high value products like the whole car. Most likely thing here is that the car was left unlocked in my opinion, happens to me a lot when 1 of the doors isn't fully closed.

User1998

The type of people who have these relay devices wouldn’t bother looking for items to steal in your car they would just steal the entire car and ship to Africa or whatever. You probably just left your car open or unlocked it by mistake

pah

My understanding is that it's not a scanner as such but they use equipment to amplify the signal for keyless entry and then put their hands on the door handle which unlocks.

rob316

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122439843#Comment_122439843

They are using a relay device it will basically be a clone of the key to trick the car into thinking the key is in the car. Your car will be in a shipping container before you even realise it's gone. Family member in the UK had his range rover with keyless entry stolen from outside a restaurant. As I said people using these devices are going to take your car not rummage through your glovebox for a few quid or valuables.

Oscar_Madison

Just a reminder- car break-ins are “thing” and have been active over the summer- take out your valuables or anything you’d regret having stolen such as electronic equipment sun glasses etc

https://www.kfmradio.com/news/localnews/gang-targets-housing-estates-in-maynooth-and-celbridge-with-multiple-cars-broken-into/

freddieot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122440458#Comment_122440458

Take out everything in sight, not just the valuable items. A sure sign that there will be some money, camera, sunglasses and any other valuable smaller items in a car is when you look in and see it's like an upturned filing cabinet. Plenty of cubby holes and storage in most cars these days for out of sight storage. When there is absolutely nothing on view then most thieves will just go to the next car.

xabi_a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122441005#Comment_122441005

There was little to nothing visible in my car. But reading all the above, I agree it was probably left unlocked by myself. I did see two lads, one in a hoodie, walking by a few days ago where they had no reason to be. I'd bet they just spotted the door unlocked.

Clareman

This shows how a laptop can be used for keyless entry, that'll get you into a car. Risk here is someone needs to be going around an estate with a laptop, chances are they aren't going to risk it just to get into the car in the hope that there's something in it, they'll be doing it to rob the whole car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XQhEy4_LGQ

rob316

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122441157#Comment_122441157

Range Rovers are near uninsurable in the UK due to the theft rate and if you get insurance its crazy high. Cousin said he was paying 6k, then it went to 10k and now he can't get it at all. Its absolutely driving down the resale value of the cars too, as who wants a car you cant insure.

Land Rover had to launch their own insurance company to cover these vehicles. They are upgrading the key modules in the cars but there is something like 65,000 out there still vunerable to relay theft.

beachhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122439659#Comment_122439659

Do not let the pouch get wet or even damp or it ceases to work

Clareman

This video shows how to stop a Land Rover being stopped but it can be applied to any car with keyless entry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Km1_4SByWQ

Personally I don't think I know anyone who uses the feature so probably easiest just turn it off.

kirving

I really doubt that anyone who has the technical knowledge to do a relay attack (I appreciate it's getting easier), is doing it for the contents of a glove box. The risk to reward just isn't there.

What car is it? Can you see the door lock indicators form the window?

In all likelihood, the car was left open, and an opportunist (or fake leaflet delivery guy) just walked past every car at night trying every single handle. If just 1% of drivers forgot to lock their car, you'd find one open every hour I'd say.

Trampas

A lot of new cars have their wing mirrors fold in when locked. Even just passing by the cars they can tell if unlocked out not. Our car got the glove box emptied one night and nothing taken. Pity they didn’t take the crap in the back seat the kids leave behind. They usually hit estates in an area every so often. Just leave nothing in the car bar cheap decent sunglasses. With everyone tapping these days must be less money in cars now

Hurrache

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122445829#Comment_122445829

Use what, keyless entry? We've used it in every car that had it, it's great.

Later versions the keys have motion sensors in them so if they haven't moved in a set period of time they don't transmit which gets around that problem.

And like the poster above says, you'll get scummers come around and hit various areas and try every car they can. Ourselves and neighbours caught a crowd on CCTV after another neighbour said they had stuff stolen from their car. We've never have known otherwise.

Abril9

A faraday cage/box/pouch will block the signal from you're set of keys going back to the car e.g. the car is in the garden, keys in the house and thieves attempt to do a relay attack during the night outside the house.

Wrapping the keys in tinfoil will do the exact same thing

To cancel out anyone taking the car keys/no keys Google Ghost Immobilizer

GavPJ

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122446647#Comment_122446647

I have an ancient Garmin Satnav in the glovebox the whole time & always some

lose change, about €20 at a guess. I leave it there in the hope that if I do forget

to lock the car, the thieves will be happy with the worthless Satnav and €20 and

then move on.

magicbastarder

Isn't it the case that once they drive off, they can't turn the car 'off' again as they're no longer in range of the original key fob?

Our neighbour's car has been 'broken into' three times, he sent a mail out warning people about the ruse. We reckon he just forgets to lock his car

freddieot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122448040#Comment_122448040

More likely they will keep you in mind next time as a target as they already found a few bits and pieces so it was worth the effort..

GavPJ

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122448570#Comment_122448570

They'll be more than welcome to the lose change, sunglasses from Wish and 1 litre of oil

I keep in the boot. They will probably look at the CD's and feel sorry for me :-)

josip

What happened to you was almost certainly done by a drug addict looking for easy cash. They'll only take cash and will pass up on anything else of value in my experience. They wouldn't have used a relay attack, you left the car open. Now that they know there are 1 or more easy cars in the estate, they will keep coming back. No point having a CCTV or Faraday Cage or even having the perpetrator caught by the guards. You just have to make sure you lock your car every time you leave it.

zg3409

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122439843#Comment_122439843

Yes, if you car has keyless entry then a relay attack makes the car think the key is nearer than it actually is. The car will unlock and car can be started. They then drive away and car will warn key no longer in range but car will keep driving until turned off. It's commonly used to steal cars to order for parts or to be shipped abroad.

In your car it's likely you never locked the car. It's common for scrotes to go around at night trying car doors on every single car in an estate, especially those parked in a road. On any given day one or two will be left unlocked and there may be laptops in the boot, money in the pockets etc. In one estate 10 people rang the gardai to say the contents of their car was stolen, all in one night in one estate. Often people are busy unloading shopping and kids and forget to lock car.

In the case if keyless entry relay beware if they can't trigger the keys inside the house they may break into house looking for the keys, so it's a risk to family putting them in a pouch.

Hurrache

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