Photo courtesy of NBIC. The National Insurance Crime Bureau obtained and tested this new device to test cars' vulnerability to thieves.
Certain high-tech devices -- specifically, in cars equipped with push-button ignition and a keyless remote -- let thieves unlock cars and steal valuables.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau, or NICB, has seen security footage of thieves using unknown devices to unlock cars and steal valuables for over two years. Recently, security footage of various car thefts has shown thieves using these devices to start the cars and drive them away.
The agency recently obtained one of these devices and conducted testing to determine how the devices work and what they can actually do. (This device was purchased via a third-party security expert; it was originally developed to allow auto manufacturers and anti-theft organizations test a car's vulnerability.)
Over two weeks, the NICB tested 35 different makes and models of vehicles to see if the device could:
- Open the door
- Start the car
- Drive it away
- Turn it off and restart the engine without the original key fob present
The testing was done in conjunction with CarMax, the nations' largest used car retailer, because of its availability of a wide range of makes and models. (It was also tested at a new car dealership, an independent used car dealer, at an auto auction and on vehicles owned by NICB employees and private individuals.)
The NICB found that the device opened the doors of 54 percent of the cars. Of the autos tested, 51 percent could be started and driven away and, 34 percent of those also allowed the vehicle to be restarted without the original key fob present.
While the research notes that the device did not work on all makes and models, it worked, "certainly on enough that car thieves can target and steal them with relative ease," NICB President and CEO Joe Wehrle says. "And the scary part is that there's no warning or explanation for the owner. Unless someone catches the crime on a security camera, there's no way for the owner or the police to really know what happened. Many times, they think the vehicle has been towed."
The NICB says that there are numerous devices that operate similarly that are being marketed to thieves. It believes that different devices work on different makes or ignition systems and likely use different technology. Some models may have a greater range or better capability to open and start a vehicle than others.
Related: Check out the top 10 cars that thieves love most.
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Tara Baukus Mello writes the cars blog as well as the weekly Driving for Dollars column, providing both practical financial advice for consumers as well as insight into the latest developments in the automotive world. Follow her on Facebook here or on Twitter @SheDrives.
What brands/models of vehicles??? That would be a good detail to know!