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U.K. criminals use device disguised as Gameboy to unlock, steal cars

With the device, rumoured to cost about $32,000, the tech-savvy thieves broke into cars in just seconds

Lisa Felepchuk
Oct 10, 2021  •  October 10, 2021  •  1 minute read  •  Join the conversation
An image of an electronic car-unlocking device disguised as a Nintendo Gameboy
An image of an electronic car-unlocking device disguised as a Nintendo Gameboy Photo by West Yorkshire Police

As technology advances, so does thieves’ ability to more seamlessly commit crimes.  A good example: these three men in the U.K. who were arrested this week for using a discrete, custom-made device, one that fits into the palm of a hand, to steal five different cars.

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The device had been programmed to specifically target Mitsubishi Outlanders, and was able to trick the vehicles’ computer systems into thinking they were being unlocked by the owner with the proper key fob. 

Ironically, the deceitful, new-age device was shaped to look like a handheld Nintendo Gameboy system, one of the most old-school gaming units out there. The bad guys even went as far as designing a Supreme-branded case for the thing to really throw off any suspicious onlookers. 

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“The utter disregard they had for the victims, whose hard-earned vehicles were whisked away in seconds, is totally apparent from the flippant tone heard on the video footage we recovered from one of their phones,” Vicky Vessey of Yorkshire police told the BBC .

Reports suggest that the unlocking device cost around £20,000, which is about $CDN32,000. 

Police uncovered surveillance footage of the men unlocking one of the Outlanders and were able to track them down later on.  All three men, whose ages range from 29 to 33, are facing jail time up to two-and-a-half years.

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