How did they get into my car?

[Elephantina]

For the first time in 15 years of travelling all around the country for work, I had my new bag and some other items stolen from my car at a motorway services today.

It was a small services, fairly busy, and I parked the car within 50 yards of the entrance in full view of the main thoroughfare. I was going to be minutes - quick dash for a sandwich, I wasn't queuing for coffee or using the loo. I grabbed my purse and phone, figured my bag would be fine on the passenger seat (I know, I know, but I don't have a parcel shelf so it would still have been visible in the boot anyway). I locked the car with the remote key as I walked away - but I didn't look back to double check, it was just habit.

When I returned after about 8 minutes, my bag and a few other bits were gone, and my car was unlocked. No damage to anything, just my stuff gone.

The police told me that they watch you and use a jammer or a blocker to block the signal from your remote, so you think you've locked it but you haven't. But I've googled this and can only find info on how they target keyless systems for vehicle theft, I can't find anything about them managing to stop you locking it in the first place.

Is this a thing? Did I even lock the car at all? I keep going over and over it. Nothing I can do about it obviously, bit gutted about my lovely new work bag which was on its first outing.

I’ve got a tracker on my car which the insurance company insisted on. The app on my phone associated with it pushes an alert if one of those jamming things is in the immediate area. I don’t understand the details but always feel slightly freaked out if it goes off(quite often) anywhere quiet as I then feel vulnerable in a car which is considered at high risk of theft.

The keyless entry is disabled but I’m not sure what that even prevents.

I had my handbag stolen from the front seat of the car when I had just parked in supermarket car park. Literally just stopped, so still wearing my seat belt. The passenger door was pulled open and my bag taken off the seat. Fortunately my phone fell out so I was able to stop my cards etc, and my keys were still in the ignition. I did get the registration of the car the thief drove off in - stolen for the purpose of robbing. He'd hit several supermarket car parks that day; the policewoman said all had had their handbags on the front passenger seat. I now lock the doors, and push my bag under the seat.
I'm sorry you 'lost' your lovely new bag OP. I was pretty peeved too!

Sorry you’ve experienced this,really annoying to lose your bag
Unfortunately they use a jammer, so that blocks the signal
We experienced this too police told us about the jammers.v common apparently

As an aside Do start Locking your car

Lucas pawpaw is the best lip balm,love it

A pricy pen is covetable but I lose and acquire pens at an alarming rate. One came home with more pens than I left hours with...

They also steal your car from the drive. They use a 'signal enhancer' and hold it up by your front door. And if your car keys are not too far away, they can unlock your car and steal from it and even drive it away if keyless.
Keep your keys in tin foil!

We just got our first keyless car. We've bought a crook lock and a little signal blocker wallet that we keep the key in. If you lock the car and put the key in the pouch you can stand next to the car and the door stays locked. It also stops thieves scanning for the signal from the key in order to unlock and start the car. I put the crook lock on even if I pop in to the shop for a few minutes. A thief will steal anything from a car especially if it on view, even a map left on the dashboard, even if they just throw it away up the road. Unfortunately, it is just what thieves do. If they get a handbag/wallet/sat nav - well that's just a bonus.

I had my car stolen off my drive a few months ago no idea how they got it as I still had the keys 😡 there are some terrible people about!

That is really rotten luck, I'm so sorry :-(.

I worry about this sometimes. I have a trolley case on wheels with an expensive work laptop in it, notes and filofax that I take home. I go to the gym on the way home from work and short of wheeling the bag around with me I have to leave it somewhere so it stays in the car boot. Awful thing to happen to anyone though.

its probably been asked but is it blocking the signal to lock your car so you walk away assuming you've locked it?
they aren't actually unlocking your car once you've walked away locking it?
if that makes any sense :/

I haven't read the entire thread but I live in a "naice" area and we have an awful lot of car robberies. A lot of locals now have little bags to put their keys in to stop the use of devices that disable them. I have got a very cheap little car so it would be no use for me but I believe this has stopped very many car crimes.

PS : Lovely Montblanc story OP, my Dad collects them and has done for very many years, they must be worth a fortune now. They are displayed these days, in a glass cabinet, rather than used.

As I understand it,the jammer blocks the signal,the car remains unlocked
Allowing opportunistic access to steal from unlocked car

A couple of things can happen:
i) it's possible to jam the signal from your fob/whatever so that the car doesn't lock;
ii) it's possible for someone with a transmitter to stand by your car and someone with an amplifier (within a permitted range) to be near enough to you to boost your signal enough to allow them to open the car.

i) is easier in a car park;

ii) is easier with a car on a driveway and the key in the house (say).

However, both can work with some cars because there are keys that will open a surprising number of cars that are not the intended on as long as they're in range. (Upthread, someone posted a very interesting piece about car security systems like this and why they're not fit for purpose - not entirely unlike WEP if you recall what a nonsense that was.)

am so sorry to hear this- as it also happened to me over Christmas whilst staying at relatives- however when I called the police and insurance none of them wanted to know-or seemed to believe me, unless it was actually vandalised, my car is also a VW and they also got the windows down half way and took the front number plate, it has left me so shaken , hopefully if I get a key cover this will help

With our incident police were aware of the phenomenon,advised physically locking car
Police said there had been a spike in such incidents
Surprised your police were unsupportive and unaware of such thefts

On our VW if a door is slightly ajar the van won’t lock properly - but it doesn’t do that loud double clonk that a previous car did.

all I got was a crime number and was told they didn't see how it could have happened so I'm almost relieved reading this thread....may call the police to update them

The Tonight programme did an episode on keyless cars being stolen.
OP, that is totally shitty, at least you took the phone and wallet etc with you.
The black van was definitely something to do with it, if your sensors went off. I hope you mentioned that to the police.
I'd never leave anything in the car or I'd lock it in the boot for safety(we do have a parcel shelf-is it possible to have a parcel shelf installed, OP?) just to be sure.
The keys are kept in the kitchen drawer which is far from the front door. The further, the better I'd say.
Our car is 2005 and on a private driveway and as far as I know no car thefts have ever happened in our current area.
But the way these thefts are happening with cheap equipment the car manufacturers need to do something.

Yes It’s unfortunately v common method of theft

I always watch for my wing mirrors to fold in before I walk away. That said, I never leave my bag in the car as if I did, and my laptop was stolen it would be considered gross misconduct and I'd probably lose my job.

The only way to avoid this is by physically checking it is locked and if it isnt actually putting the key in the door and locking it manually before walking away. We were nearly a victim of this but saw another guy neae us walk away and realoses his car hadnt locked properly shouted him back and then checked ours. It wasnt locked. A crowd gathered in car park police were called and none of the cars would lock. When the police strated wandering round looking in buahes etc for a possibke suspect the jammer miraculously stoppes and we were able to lock our car. Only thanks qe gor from restaurant owner was to tell us to go away trying to frighten her custimers until police strates queationing if she has anything do do with it as she seemed so defensive. (you would have thought that she wanted customers to be safe) took offense to us asking everyone who pulled up to manually lock their car before going inside. Thankfully no cars were robbed from due to us noticing the old mans car but we might not have bwen so Lucky.

Wow, what a nice thread.

Seriously though. I was expecting everyone to jump down OP’s throat and you’re all being so lovely! Yay.

I’ve definitely learned something new today. Sorry this happened to you OP, and other commenters. But I’m sure a lot of us have learned something useful.

I always lock the car then again 10 seconds later, and make sure that I keep turning round to look at the car while im walking away. Just incase. Sorry this has happened to you x

Well @Elephantina I'm sorry your car was broken into and your things were taken (tossers!) but I'd just like to say this thread has been immensely useful. As a result of reading it I have now acquired faraday cage holders for both sets of car keys and my credit cards AND I have turned on Filevault on my Mac.

So thank you, this thread has been a public service :)

I have wrapped the car keys in the house in silver foil, and I have been double checking that the car is locked since I have seen this thread.

I agree that this thread has been an excellent public service.

Was it a Mont Blanc? I have a MB Rollerball with a diamond in the cap which I love beyond reason. And a new MB gold/ black fountain pen. I’d have cried if someone pinched them.