Vehicle crime · 5 min read
Keyless car theft.
How it works. How to stop it.
Two people, a small device each, and your car is gone from the drive in under a minute — without a key, without a window broken, and often without a sound. Here's exactly how it works and what beats it.
33 vehicle crimes were reported within a mile of Wolverhampton centre last month. See the full picture →
The relay attack
Your keyless fob is always listening. One thief stands by your front door with a relay device that picks up the fob's signal from inside the house; the second stands by the car with a device that re-broadcasts it. The car thinks the key is present, unlocks, and starts. They drive off. Total time: often under 60 seconds. It's quiet, so neighbours don't notice, and it happens on ordinary residential streets across the West Midlands every week.
What stops it
- A Faraday pouch or box for the keys. Blocks the signal completely. Both sets of keys, every night, near the front door is the worst place to keep them unshielded.
- Turn the fob off if your car allows it (many do — check the manual for 'sleep mode').
- A steering wheel lock. Old-fashioned, visible, and thieves will pick the car next door instead.
- Park so the car can't be driven straight off — behind another car, or gates.
- A driveway camera with number-plate detail and a white light. It won't stop a relay attack on its own, but a camera that lights up when someone walks up the drive changes the calculation — and if they go ahead, you have faces, the plate on the vehicle they arrived in, and a time.
What a camera needs to actually help
Most driveway footage we're shown after a theft is useless: too high, too wide, infrared grey. For vehicle crime the camera should be at 2.5–3m, angled down the drive so faces are seen at approach, 8MP with colour night vision, and person-detection alerts that wake your phone the moment someone steps onto the drive — not after the car's gone. See best CCTV for a driveway.
One 8MP ColorVu-type camera at the road end for plates, one at the house for faces, person alerts at night, and a doorbell camera. Fixed price after a free survey.
Your property decides. Not the logo.
Questions
Good to know.
Which cars are targeted?
Anything keyless, but premium SUVs and popular models with strong resale abroad are most common. Insurers' theft tables are worth a look for your model.
Does a Faraday pouch really work?
Yes, if the keys are actually in it. Test it: put the keys in, stand next to the car, try the handle.
Can CCTV stop the theft?
It can deter — a light coming on and a visible camera makes many thieves move on. If they don't, it gives the police what they need.