High-tech car theft warning for South Africa

Car thieves in South Africa have stepped up their game and are using highly sophisticated gadgets to break into motorists’ cars within seconds.

According to Tracker Connect COO Duma Ngcobo, car thieves use two high-tech approaches to replicate key fob signals and unlock motorists’ cars.

“We are seeing an increasingly focused and sophisticated criminal, using very high-tech systems to bypass vehicle security,” Ngcobo told Cape Talk.

He said criminals are using relay and canvas attacks to bypass sophisticated vehicle security systems.

“The relay attack is where somebody carrying a backpack will follow you into a mall or shopping centre or anywhere, and they must be in close proximity,” said Ngcobo.

“What is in the backpack is usually a laptop with an amplifying system. That’s trying to steal the signal between your key fob and the vehicle in question.”

“Once they are able to amplify this. There’s a receiver or a second perpetrator standing next to your vehicle. Effectively in that way, the signal has been transferred from your key to another key and within seconds, they can get into your car,” he added.

While he didn’t specify how a canvas attack works, he said criminals use similar gadgets to carry out these attacks.

These gadgets aren’t difficult to acquire. Ngcomo said they should be illegal to sell in South Africa, but they are still easy to obtain.

“Unfortunately, with technology and things like the dark web but also quite reputable outlets, you can order these gadgets to have them delivered to you,” he said.

“There are various malls where it’s actually illegal to sell these gadgets, but they’re relatively easy to purchase.”

He explained that prices can range from a couple of thousand rands for basic devices to several hundred thousand rands for the more sophisticated ones.

As cars evolved from using physical keys to lock and unlock, criminals found ways to hijack the signal of key fobs and break into vehicles.

Vehicles with keyless entry have been heavily targeted in recent years.

The South African Insurance Crime Bureau recorded a large surge in thefts of newer SUVs in 2022, many of which included models with keyless entry and ignition features.

Insurers King Price, Momentum, Naked, and Outsurance recommended that motorists disable keyless entry and ignition, which are simply convenience features, where possible.

“Where possible, the keyless entry should be permanently deactivated,” Outsurance chief client relations officer Natasha Kawulesar told MyBroadband.

“For some vehicles, this may be done via the menu on the infotainment system or by taking the vehicle to the dealership for assistance.”

However, some models may require owners to press buttons on the key fob in a particular order to deactivate the system.

These insurers and Santam also recommended keeping their keys in a Faraday pouch if they cannot deactivate keyless entry and ignition.

“Always keep the keys of a vehicle with keyless entry in a Faraday pouch, whether it is in your handbag or in your hand,” Santam advised.

Faraday pouches comprise a conductive metal lining that can block the radio waves transmitted by your keys so criminals cannot amplify them.

They can be bought directly from dealerships or for as little as R100 from retailers like Makro and Takealot.

Insurers also advise parking your car as far away from the street as possible, making it more difficult for a signal receiver to get within range.

Some more modern fobs feature motion-sensing capabilities to disable transmissions when stationary for extensive periods.

However, this doesn’t protect you from attacks attack where thieves follow you with a signal amplifier, as the fob would continue sensing motion in these scenarios.