Update 11 Aug 2015: Mystery solved?
Thieves are using a mystery device to break into cars and the cops are stumped. I came across this story back in June but never posted it here:
Cops across the country are investigating a new wave of car thefts that appear to be happening with nothing more than a click of a button, the “Today” show reports.
From California to Chicago, car thieves have been caught on camera breaking into parked cars using small electronic devices that could be “cloned” car remotes.
The thieves then raid the vehicles for valuables before skulking away.
Long Beach, Calif., Deputy Police Chief David Hendricks told “Today” he’s “stumped: by the robberies.
“We are stumped and we don’t know what this technology is,” he said.
via Car thieves rob vehicles using ‘mystery’ wireless devices: report – NY Daily News.
It’s a fascinating report in itself and you should take the time to watch the video.
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Since reading this article in June, I’ve been contemplating how this is done. My neighborhood gets more than its share of motor vehicle larcenies, the majority of which are facilitated by forgetful owners not locking their doors. A more accomplished thief will use a slim jim to pop the locks. Others simply smash the window using a small tool like a spark plug and help themselves.
Needless to say, a thief using a magic keyfob to unlock cars is unheard of. If you’re a smart enough crook to do this, why steal cars for a living when you can get a job on Wall Street?
The other thing I pondered is why the thieves use their device at the passenger door? Is there something special about the door itself, or is it because that side is closer to the glove compartment where goods might be stashed? I know that on Hondas, unlocking the front passenger door also unlocks the other doors. It and the hatch lock of our minivan are the only locks on the car to does that. Is this tool specific to the circuitry that accomplishes this?
I pondered whether this tool wasn’t electronic but magnetic instead. Perhaps a strong magnet waved near the passenger door lock is causing the contacts in the lock’s switch to close, as if the “unlock” button inside the car had been pressed. Watching the video, I don’t see the thieves waving the device, nor do they appear to be close enough for a magnet to affect the lock.
This is something I hope to test myself.