Anyone who has a vehicle with keyless entry should be aware of some new methods thieves are using to turn the convenience into a way to easily access people’s cars.

“I wasn’t aware it could happen until it happened to me,” said Nancy Turner.

Turner always locks her car doors. So she was surprised when she returned to her car after a game in downtown Orlando and her car doors wide open.  The thieves were able to get in without breaking any windows.

“They had explained to me they had used some sort of remote that they could unlock my car and get into it. I was pretty shocked,” said Turner.

Turner said her car was one of several broken into right in a row in a Church Street parking garage. When Orlando Police responded, they told Turner the thieves had actually used her car’s touch keypad to get in. That keypad allows a driver to use a 5-digit code to unlock their car instead of having to use a key. 

Many drivers use the feature as a way to get into their car if they’ve locked themselves out. In this case, police told Turner the thieves were somehow able to unlock the code, and unlock the car.

The American Automobile Association said thieves can also use remote key fobs to break into cars. They said the thieves tap into radio signals to catch the signal from your own key fob and amplify it, even if the key fob is a good distance away. Then they can use the signals to open the vehicle up.

Turner said she plans on taking her car to the dealer to get the keypad function disabled. She didn’t have any valuables in her car for the thieves to steal.

“I would advise people that even at Christmas and all, to not leave their merchandise in their vehicles,” said Turner.

AAA said you can put your key fob in a metal container or even in aluminum foil, which prevents anyone from using the radio signals to open up your car.

Hacking Key Fobs

Information from AAA

What is the problem?

  • Many modern cars use keyless entry/ignition “smart fobs” that allow the car to be unlocked and started without removing the fob from one’s pocket or purse.
  • The vehicle and fob communicate using low-power radio signals that are only effective when the fob is within approximately 36” of the car door or ignition start/stop button.
  • It appear some thieves have developed special equipment to amplify the communication signals between vehicles and “smart fobs,” significantly extending the system’s effective range.
  • This “tricks” the car into thinking the fob is next to the car door or trunk, when it may be on a dresser inside the house, allowing the vehicle to be unlocked and started.

What is the extent of the problem?

  • Primarily involves property theft from inside vehicles, not the cars themselves.
  • Car theft is possible, but once the car has been driven out of range of the smart fob and shut off it cannot be restarted.
  • The current extent of the problem is difficult to determine. Since it uses the normal vehicle access process there is no residual evidence of tampering.
  • Because the radio signals received by the car are from its own fob, no alarms are activated.
  • There are a number of media reports of vehicle break ins with no signs of vehicle damage, but it cannot be said for certain that fob signal amplification was used to gain entry.

What precautions can motorists take?

  • Don’t leave valuable items (purses, GPS units, shopping bags or electronics) in your car. 
  • If you must do so, make sure they are out of sight in a locked glove box or trunk.
  • Park your car in a closed garage; this makes it a far less inviting target.
  • Store your key fobs (all of them) in a metal container, RFID sleeve or aluminum foil when not in use. The metal provides a barrier that interrupts radio signals to/from the smart fob. Do not place key fobs in a freezer or microwave oven, these methods may damage the fobs which can cost hundreds of dollars to replace and program.