Our ‘Lock It Or Lose It’ campaign is still a vital crime prevention strategy, but it’s important for vehicle owners to know about the new technologies criminals can use to break in.
Remote keyless entry systems (RKE) for locking and unlocks car doors and remote keyless ignition systems (RKI) for starting the engine can seem safer than standard key locks and ignition, but have their own risks.
Keyless remotes contain a short range radio transmitter, and must be within a certain range, usually 5-20 meters of any car for it to work.
‘Relay attack’ devices allow criminals to unlock vehicles without needing to even have the key fob (or ‘clicker’) in their possession.
This ‘relay attack’ device is used by one person standing within the range of frequency for the victim’s ‘clicker’, while a second person with a fake ‘clicker’ stands near the target vehicle.
Through these two devices the signal from the victim’s ‘clicker’ is spoofed,