Car thefts have spiralled to a 15-year high – and experts blame ‘smart keys’ which allow keyless access to a wide range of high-end vehicles.
Armed with iPad-sized devices to emulate electronic fobs, thieves can open newer vehicles and drive away within seconds.
Gangs preying on Range Rovers and other luxury cars are exploiting security flaws ignored by manufacturers, campaigners say.
It comes as new laws are set to ban electronic devices used to steal cars – with the people who make or sell signal jammers facing as much as five years in prison or an unlimited fine.
Close to 130,000 car thefts were reported to the police in 2023/24, official statistics show, while more than 700,000 vehicles were broken into.
This marked the highest toll since 2008/09, when criminals were more likely to pick locks or smash windows before hotwiring cars and speeding off.
Although not all will have been by thieves using ’emulators’, insurers say the trend is increasing.
Official data shows an offender manipulates a signal from a remote locking device in 40 per cent of vehicles thefts.
Admiral, the UK’s largest motor insurer, said around two-thirds of cars stolen in 2023 were keyless.
In a letter to car manufacturers demanding action to fix design flaws that make it ‘too easy’ to pinch modern cars, Sadiq Khan shared Metropolitan Police data that showed a similar trend in London.
Terrifying CCTV footage has shown masked crooks, hidden by the cover of darkness, ‘hacking’ cars sat on their own driveway.
Earlier this a man had his £25k Ford Ranger stolen after two keyless car thieves made off with it in the dead of night.
Footage of the culprits revealed how they managed to steal the vehicle from the family driveway in less than 60 seconds.
One thief swiftly made his way towards the car door while the other runs over to the front of the house, holding what appears to be a signal-scanning device.
More shocking CCTV footage from March last year showed how thugs unlocked a Bentley Bentayga, which was parked in a gated driveway, using a ‘master device’ to copy the signals of the vehicle’s keys and transmit them to a second device to open the car.
After successfully gaining access to the vehicle, worth £169,000, one of the criminals then reverses the motor through two sets of fences in order to escape off the property.
Perry Lovejoy, 29, Luke Jackson, 28, Billy Harrison, 30, and Harry Sales, 28, all admitted charges of conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to acquire criminal property.
They were sentenced collectively to 12-and-a-half years behind bars.
In December an organised crime gang which plundered luxury vehicles worth more than £215,000 were jailed for a total of more than 27 years.
The gang targeted high value cars parked at luxury homes in multiple burglaries across Surrey.
In 2023, police identified a series of residential burglaries which could be linked via a distinctive Audi A8 car, which was one of just 15 in the country.
The gang would scope out a target vehicle and either commit a burglary to steal the keys or use illegal devices to gain keyless entry.
In another case, Lillie Powell witnessed two thieves drive off in her expensive car after they used a device to duplicate the signal of a key fob and trick the car into opening.
But after police found her vehicle, the 26 year old was informed she would be subjected to a £192 retrieval charge at a garage to get her car back.
The thieves had gained access to the Range Rover with a device which duplicates the signal of a key fob and tricks the car into opening and the incident was part of a spree of thefts between November and January in the Hedge End, Eastleigh and Fair Oak areas of Hampshire.
These cases come as possession or distribution of electronic devices used to commit vehicle theft will be banned, carrying a maximum sentence of five years.
As the government works to prevent crimes from impacting working people’s lives, police officers and the courts will be given new powers to target criminals who steal vehicles using electronic devices, including ‘signal jammers’, along with the organised groups who manufacture and supply these devices.
Previously prosecution for handling these devices was only possible if it could be proved by police that they had been used to commit a specific crime.
Under these new laws anyone who is found in possession of one, or to have imported, made, adapted or distributed them, could receive a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine.
The burden of proof will instead fall on the owner to prove they were using the device for a legitimate purpose to avoid being prosecuted.
Minister for Policing, Crime and Fire Prevention, Dame Diana Johnson said: ‘These thefts have a devastating effect on victims, who need their vehicles to go about their everyday lives.
‘We are aware of the real concerns people feel with the use of these electronic devices being so prolific.
‘This is why we are introducing new laws focused on tackling this issue at source, which is what our Safer Streets mission and Plan for Change are all about.
‘These new laws will prevent these devices from getting into the hands of thieves and organised crime groups.
‘We will also continue to work closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which includes supporting their National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership, which brings together the police and manufacturers to clamp down on vehicle crime.’
1. Keep your key fob safe and well away from your vehicle: Place your keys or fob as far away from the vehicle as you can, and if possible keep them in a Faraday pouch.
Metal tins and boxes will also provide similar protective levels, as will keeping your key fob in a fridge freezer, microwave or oven – just remember they are in there before turning on the latter two.
Also, don’t forget about your spare keys and apply the same level of care you would to your main keys or fob.
2. Invest in protection for your vehicle: A simple steering wheel lock or wheel clamp might look ugly but are usually enough to deter even the hardiest criminals.
Halfords recently launched the first fingerprint-activated lock, which costs £60, as part of a bid to cut down on the rising spate of keyless thefts.
These items typically require criminals to use noisy drills or saws to cut through, and therefore often act as a good first line of defence.
3. Be mindful when locking the vehicle: It may sound simple but if your vehicle has keyless entry, make sure it is locked every time you’re not in it, even if it’s just for a couple of minutes when you’re paying to park somewhere – thieves can take an unlocked car in seconds.
When it comes to locking, many modern cars have keys with two settings – for single and double locking.
Many drivers don’t realise that on many models if you press your key fob once your car will only be single locked.
This means that if you smashed the window you could manually open the car by reaching in and pulling the handle from the inside.
These key fobs require a second pressing of the locking button to enable all security features. It is important to read your car’s manual when you first get it and familiarise how to securely lock your car when you’re not in it.
4. Think about where you park overnight: Driveway parking posts are a cheap but efficient way of deterring would-be thieves.
Drivers can also go one step further and install lockable gates in their driveway, while simple CCTV systems can provide further peace of mind.
Luxury cars, which are at greater risk of theft, should be parked in a locked garage where possible.
5. Install a tracking device: Installing a tracker system in your vehicle, such as a Thatcham approved device, offers an extra layer of security.
A tracking device won’t stop your vehicle being stolen, but it significantly increases the chances of the police recovering and returning it to you.