Watch CCTV footage as two car thieves walk up to a brand new car, gain entry and drive off within a matter of seconds.
A device used to hack vehicles and bypass the security system, available online, was used to transmit an amplified signal to activate keyless entry.
The theft, which was caught on camera, took the crooks just a few seconds.
The tactic is similar to reports of a rise in relay car hacks, which uses a pair of transmitters to fool the system into thinking the car keys are present.
The owner of the BMW, who did not want to be named, told Mail Online: “I was in my bedroom sleeping at the time.
“We had just bought the brand new car at the beginning of September.
“Then I heard the engine.
“I knew someone had started my car and I went to the window.
“I dashed down straight away and it was gone.”
Earlier this year, it was reported that 110 models from 27 different VMs were found to be at risk from keyless entry thefts.
Speaking at the time of the report, the German company behind the findings said: “Thefts have been using these loopholes presumably for years, without car manufacturers providing an effective solution – which shows that the automotive industry still has very much to catch up to other sectors of the economy with regards to IT security.
“All the more since keyless systems are also available for small and medium-sized cars and offered partly as standard configuration, manufacturers are called upon to effectively protect vehicle electronics.
“The radio connection between keys and car can easily be extended over 100 metres, regardless of whether the original key is, for example, at home or in the pocket of the owner.”
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John
We have known about this problem for some time. Working with our German partner, Hickleys are now able to offer a device that can be easily fitted to vehicles with keyless entry that will counteract these sniffer devices and stop this kind of theft.