Police in southern Ontario warn of targeted car thefts pulled off using key fobs

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Police in Barrie, Ontario are warning area residents that car thieves are stealing cars from driveways by boosting signals from remote key fobs — and that owners need to do more to combat them.

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During the early hours of February 1 , five cars – two Lexuses and three Toyota Highlanders – were taken in the south end of the city, in the Ardagh Road and Mapleton Avenue area, reports Barrie Today . The specific streets involved were Marta Crescent, Eaglestone Lane, Stoneybrook Crescent, McKenzie Crescent, and Gore Drive.

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Police in southern Ontario warn of targeted car thefts pulled off using key fobs Back to video

It doesn’t matter if your car is locked, or even if thieves gain access your keys. By boosting the signal emitted by the car’s key fob, as explained in this Driving.ca article , they are able to amplify it enough to make away with the car. No breaking into homes, no smashing windows, just a clean technical move and your car is gone.

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The best thing you can do to prevent your car from being stolen is to park it in your garage. While some owners have taken to making or purchasing Faraday boxes for their fobs – with metal-lined sleeves to block signals – police are now saying that might not be enough.

Instead, they are recommending you not store your key fobs anywhere near the perimeter of your home, especially by the front door. Some people store their keys in their freezer. If you can’t park in your garage, consider “protecting” your higher-end car by boxing it in with another one in the driveway.

High-end cars are usually bound for other countries within hours of being stolen.