Fears are growing that crooks have found a new way to Steal cars after a family’s Volvo was pinched despite the keys being inside a theft-proof pouch 20ft away inside their home.
Father-of-three Wayne Thompson, 47, from Enfield, London, kept the keys to the family’s £46,000 Volvo XC90 in a Faraday pouch 20ft from the front door.
Even so, the health and safety advisor was shocked to see two crooks steal his car in the middle of the night using a relay signal trick earlier this month in footage caught on CCTV.
Similarly, Harry Goaman, 25, from Clapham South, came home last month to find his £21,000 second-hand Mercedes C-Class Coupé had been taken by thieves using the relay trick, even though the car keys were in a cupboard drawer 10ft inside his home.
Mr Goaman also caught the crime on camera. Three criminals dressed in black with balaclavas over their faces strolled around nonchalantly as they stole his luxury car in under 30 seconds. In both cases, the Met said there were ‘no further realistic lines of enquiry’.
Both Mr Thompson and Mr Goaman were taken aback by the ease at which the thieves were able to steal their cars, even though they had taken precautions to prevent just that.
Worries are growing that crooks have found a new way to steal cars after a number of Car Thefts using a relay trick
Father-of-three Wayne Thompson, 47, from Enfield, London, kept the keys to the family’s £46,000 Volvo XC90 (right) in a Faraday pouch 20ft from the front door
Mr Thompson told MailOnline: ‘We are shocked it happened. The keys were in the kitchen in the Faraday pouch’
Mr Thompson told MailOnline: ‘We are shocked it happened. The keys were in the kitchen in the Faraday pouch.
‘What are the car makers doing to prevent it? They are not doing anything to help us.
‘We have to consider a wheel lock or a post in front of the car.’
He said the cunning thieves even fooled the GPS tracker, which says the car is still in the drive.
He said the theft left his three children, one of whom has autism, ‘panicking’.
His wife, Victoria, 44, said: ‘It’s had more of an impact on our daughter because she thinks someone will come into the house. Everyone pays for it somehow.
‘You blame yourself but we thought that having a Faraday pouch at the back of the house would be fine. I’m begrudged getting another car because I’m worried it will be stolen again.’
Harry Goaman, 25, from Clapham South, came home last month to find his £21,000 second-hand Mercedes C-Class Coupé had been taken by thieves using the relay trick, even though the car keys were in a cupboard drawer 10ft inside his home
Even though the thieves were not standing close to the door they were able to use a super-stength signal to break into the car
Relay theft is a way thieves break into cars in seconds , without using blunt force or needing a key, all by exploiting electronic key fobs. Car thefts rose by a quarter last year, in part due to this form of theft
Relay theft is a way thieves break into cars in seconds, without using blunt force or needing a key, all by exploiting electronic key fobs. Car thefts rose by a quarter last year, in part due to this form of theft.
Relay theft sees criminals simply stand outside a house with a car parked outside, then use a device called a keyless repeater, which works by extending the limited range of a normal keyless fob.
That tricks the car into thinking the fob is closer than it is, letting criminals unlock it remotely and steal the car and any valuables left inside it.
Mr Goaman told MailOnline his car had been stolen at round 5am but because he cycled to work he didn’t spot the car was gone until that afternoon.
He said: ‘I was shocked at how pathetically easy it is to steal these cars.
‘They didn’t even come to the door.
‘[The police didn’t ask for the footage and after a phone call they closed the case within five minutes on the basis they didn’t have anything to go on.
‘They obviously don’t investigate. It seems remarkable that serious crime gangs can steal cars routinely with very little attempt to track them down.
‘It was just remarkable how brazen and calm they were. They were not in a rush at all.
Relay theft sees criminals simply stand outside a house with a car parked outside, then use a device called a keyless repeater, which works by extending the limited range of a normal keyless fob
That tricks the car into thinking the fob is closer than it is, letting criminals unlock it remotely and steal the car and any valuables left inside it
The cost to insurers of car thefts has quadrupled from £360million in 2006 to a whopping £1.54billion in just 16 years
‘They had little to no fear of being caught in the act, like they have done a hundred a day.’
The cost to insurers of car thefts has quadrupled from £360million in 2006 to a whopping £1.54billion in just 16 years.
Former police detective Philip Swift is the boss of the UK’s oldest specialist motor insurance loss adjuster, Claims, Management and Adjusting.
He told MailOnline that when he worked with some police forces on car theft claims it was ‘as though you are hitting your head against a brick wall’.
He said: ‘Until everyone starts working together it’s going to continue going on.
‘I don’t think it’s going to be easy to overcome until the manufacturers fix the weakness.
‘It’s frustrating because [the police] could do much better.
‘There are things that could be done but they are time consuming.’
Mr Swift said the police, manufacturers, tracking companies, insurance companies and even the DVLA could work together to stamp out car thefts.
He added: ‘All of them are doing their own thing but in isolation.
‘It’s a shame. [There is] so much that could be done and that would act as a deterrent’.
Mr Swift recommended installing a GPS tracker into a car or investing in a post or barrier to stop a car being driven away.
The Met Police said: ‘We recognise the impact that motor vehicle crime can have on victims, especially those who rely on vehicles for either means of employment or the routine of daily life.
‘Any allegation of crime reported to the police will be assessed to see if there are any viable lines of enquiry including forensic opportunities that can be progressed.’
Former police detective Philip Swift (pictured) is the boss of the UK’s oldest specialist motor insurance loss adjuster, Claims, Management and Adjusting. He told MailOnline that when he worked with some police forces on car theft claims it was ‘as though you are hitting your head against a brick wall’
A spokeswoman for Mercedes said: ‘All new Mercedes-Benz car keys (Keyless Go) are fitted with a built-in motion sensor which means if the key is in a drawer or on a hook and is stationary, the signals of the key cannot be hijacked.
‘In addition, all Mercedes-Benz Keyless Go signals can be switched off by pressing the locking button on the key twice, which de-activates the signal: they can be reactivated by pressing any button on the key.
‘We offer a range of measures where customers can find out more about Keyless Go and other vehicle features – including online ‘how to’ videos, owner’s manuals, as well as vehicle handover.’
Mike Hawes, the chief of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, told MailOnline: ‘Car makers take vehicle security extremely seriously, continually rolling out new features to try and stay one step ahead of criminals.
‘However, technology can only do so much.
‘Most car crime is still attributable to the unauthorised use of owners’ keys, however, and we continue to call for action to prevent the open sale of devices which have no legal purpose but are used by criminals to steal cars.’
Volvo did not respond to a request for comment from MailOnline.
