The Range Rover Sport is the vehicle most often stolen then recovered by Tracker as keyless car theft rose to an ‘all time high’, the security specialist has said.
The Range Rover Vogue was the second most recovered followed by the Range Rover Autobiography, BMW X5, and Land Rover Discovery. It's believed the cars are stolen to order and then sold abroad, or stripped for their parts.
Tracker added that of all the cars it recovered, 93% were were stolen via the relay theft technique. That equates to a 26% rise compared to five years ago
How relay theft works
Relay theft is the quick, quiet, simple way to steal a car without causing any damage. It exploits your car’s keyless entry system by using a transmitter to bounce a signal from your keys inside your house to the car itself. The vehicle then lets you open its doors, start the engine, and drive believing the legitimate key to be close.
Clive Wain, Head of Police Liaison for Tracker, summarised the problem. ‘Keyless car theft has risen dramatically in recent years. It's quick and easy for professional criminals who have the tools and experience. Cars are commonly taken from outside of the owners’ houses, often discreetly and within minutes with thefts often going unnoticed for some time.'
How to stop relay theft
Mr Wain further revealed how to protect your vehicle from relay theft. ‘We encourage drivers to use traditional visual deterrents such as crook locks and wheel clamps to deter criminals.
'And block the signal from your car’s legitimate key by storing it within a faraday pouch, tin, or box. The criminal’s device cannot then capture its signal so your vehicle stays locked.'