A new method of car crime on the rise, The Good Garage Scheme warns

A gang of tech-savvy car burglars are reported to have found a way of stealing goods from inside cars without their owners being immediately aware of it.

Usually it is obvious when car burglary has occurred because of forced entry being visible, for example, if a window has been smashed in the process. But what if you came back to your car to find your car radio missing with no reasonable explanation?

These thieves are disguising their crime by high-tech means. They are able to jam car central locking systems to prevent doors from being locked properly and thus leaving windows intact. It works by motorists assuming their doors are all locked when they press the central locking mechanism on their key fob. They leave the vehicle unaware that it has been jammed by a thief nearby who is blocking the signal. The motorist then returns to their vehicle and assumes there is a fault with the car or that they didn’t lock it.

Unfortunately for unaware motorists, electronic devices are available on the Internet for around $100 US dollars, which is about £66. They work by blocking the frequency that is transmitted from the fob to the car.

Please be alert to anyone hanging around or acting suspiciously when you are locking your vehicle. Always double check your vehicle is actually locked when you walk away.