Alarming Trend In High-Tech Car Thefts On The Rise In CA, Police Say

ANAHEIM, CA — The times they are a'changing, and car thieves are changing with the times.

Police across California are warning residents of a troubling new high-tech trend in car thefts. First, they stand outside your home and steal your signal. Then they drive off with your car, according to police.

Anaheim Police Department Sgt. Matt Sutter told Patch that detectives are investigating at least two different types of high-tech thefts of luxury vehicles that occurred over the last weekend.

These new methods of theft are far more technologically advanced than what departments are used to, he said.

"Back when I started, you could pretty much steal a car with a screwdriver," Sutter said. "But as cars advance in technology, suspects who want to steal these cars have to be more creative and use technology to carry out their heists."

According to Sutter, the Anaheim Police Department is seeing two different ways that thieves are stealing cars: by tablet, and by signal.

"If they have a tablet and force their way into your car, they can plug the tablet into your car's computer system, reprogram it and drive off," Sutter said. "That takes forced entry."

However, not all methods require forced entry, as seen with an incident in Anaheim Hills.

"The thieves will hold this antenna device, and they're picking up your FOB signal with it, just like they would pick up the signal from a debit card," Sutter said. "They're sending that signal to a person waiting by the car."

A victim told KTLA how the high-tech theft on Nov. 12 unfolded.

One of the suspects approached the family's front door as if he intended to break in.

Instead, the thief held an antenna-like tool over his head while standing outside the home — the device was used to amplify and intercept the signal from the key fob to the homeowner's vehicle, Sutter said.

"They got the signal from the car, started it and took off," the resident, who chose not to be identified, told KTLA. "My keys were in the kitchen. It's not like they were at the front door. Who would've thought someone would come in with an antenna and take your car away from you?"

To combat these methods of thievery, Sutter said a joint effort between law enforcement agencies and proactive residents is required.

"We're actively investigating the two cases we had last weekend — we hope to make some arrests out of this, but there are some preventative measures residents can take."

Firstly, residents can install a kill switch, which is a hidden anti-theft device that prevents a vehicle from starting by interrupting the flow of electricity or fuel to the engine, even if a thief has the key.

In addition, residents with a garage were urged to park their cars inside.

"Don't store your car FOB right next to the front door — sometimes people do that," Sutter said. "Just store it further and deeper into the house — it's not a guarantee, but something I'd recommend."

There are other ways to protect against this kind of theft, including Faraday bags — storage bags that block a car's FOB signal. On Amazon, they range in price from $5 to $72. Additionally, the sleuths over at Snopes.com tested the Internet's favorite recommendation: wrapping a car FOB in aluminum foil. It works...sometimes, according to Snopes.com.

The outlet tested the technique on a Toyota FOB and found the foil interfered with the signal, so that the FOB could no longer be used to open the car door.

"We'll tell you right off the top that, yes, wrapping your car's key fob in foil or placing it in a metal container or special pouch might keep its signal -- whether the always-on low frequency or the button-pressed higher frequency -- secure from criminals," concluded Snopes. "However, these methods would likely not be foolproof, as the fob likely has to be removed from its protective covering to start and drive the car."