One of my neighbours down the Close had his very expensive Benz nicked early this morning, at 04:45. The usual trick: the tealeaf simply got in and drove it away with the help of a magic box.
My cameras earlier showed a small hatchback go past my gate at 00.45 and leave a couple of minutes later. I guess that is when they checked if the target was there and if the magic box would work.
Then at 04:45 the cameras show the hatchback returns, and a couple of minutes later it leaves again closely followed by the Benz.
It seems they also stopped in the local Waitrose carpark to try switching plates on the Benz. (My source is less clear on this.)
The Benz was recovered from Muswell Hill this morning, thanks to its tracker.
Moral: If you can’t be bothered with using a faraday cage for the useless keyless keys, make sure you have a nice expensive tracker securely hidden somewhere in the car.
On advice from our Suzuki salesperson, we bought a Faraday each (God knows why you would not) as apparently ours can activate the locks and prime the ECU on the engine for the Start button…from about 40 feet or more! Which is not great at Tescos. We also have our debit cards Faraday’d in our respective wallets. They really do work…we tested them at the check out. What people probably do not know is their cards are embedded all around the perimeter inside the plastic with a less than human hair thickness arial which feeds into the exposed circuit board we see. Interrupt that…no theft.
Be aware that the faraday cage pouches for keys often fail in a few months, I think because the material they use cracks inside where it folds.
So best to test them periodically and be prepared to replace them like a consumable. Just test by trying to open your car with the key still in its pouch and next to the car. It shouldn’t open…
