Car theft: jammers, a new weapon for car thieves

This is not a rumor or even a potential risk (like a security breach), but a reality: car thieves have a new way of behaving and it’s unfortunately very simple and very effective. The National Police released an official press release on May 19, 2020 warning of “frequency jammers” that allow thieves to block the automatic closing of car doors … to safely search or steal them.

A simple, inexpensive box for a few tens of euros

The signal jammer is neither complicated nor large: it fits in one hand and only blocks the signal that the remote control sends to the car when the doors are closed (automatic remote locking). The signal is encrypted, the car remains open.

What worries the authorities is that it is extremely easy to get this type of jammer on the internet and in parallel markets. Their prices also make them dangerous: barely fifty euros or accessible to everyone. Suddenly their shadow multiplies in Ile-de-France and all over France.

The only solution: vigilance

If the police can watch, they arrested three young people in the act on May 12-15, 2015. The number of cars and jammers in circulation is far too many for the police to check. And there is nothing to be done about these boxes.

To do nothing except … be vigilant as always. The problem is that with a remote lock you are more likely to trust not to check that the doors are actually closed: generally, you press the button as you step away from the vehicle and without returning.

But thieves watch with their boxes. However, if you are vigilant and check that the doors are actually closed, there is nothing they can do: if they are not closed, you can always press the button again to close them or stay near the vehicle while they are closed are not close.