Keyless car theft: new method?

[gaby]

I read this on e Belgian newssite, so it's in dutch:https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2020/08...-auto-geen-og/
A family that made a stop on a highway parking during their trip in France was scammed in a way that is new to me.
The key was copied during the stop and a tyre was punctured. When they drove off, TPMS reported a flat tyre.
After they stopped, some bystanders (members of a gang) offered to help and others lured them away from the car.
This gave the thieves time enough to open the car and steal wallets and valuables.
This method seems to indicate that the keys should best always be kept in a safety pouch, not only during
the night when the car is on the drive. I understand that this can also happen with the "go to sleep" key.
I also understand that the car itself could get stolen afterwards if the thieves would follow it.

The make of the car isn't mentioned in the article.

[Gazdok]

Some manufacturers have gone over to putting the key to sleep to stop the scanning and transponding to the car. When the key is moving, it will not go to sleep and can be copied and the car opened.

Only with the measurement of the signal length the car can determine how close the key actually is. This method is only done by a couple of manufacturers yet. I do not think Volvo is amongst them.

[Whiterdesign]

The new Volvo keys do go to sleep when not moving, if you want you can replace your existing keys with the new ones, at a hell of a cost probably

[dling]

I may be naive, probably because I live in a country with a fairly low criminality rate, but I see a lot of people here worrying about care security. I noticed there are some differences between insurance policies, but doesn’t the insurer refund you the whole amount if the care is stolen? Aren’t your expensive stuff (phones, tablets, etc) already covered by some other form of insurance? Do you travel with cash in your wallets?
I’m not trying to criticize, just want to understand the differences

[Cull06]

Well yes in theory but you pay your excess and when you come to re insure you have to declare a total loss on a car which will put up your insurance a significant amount for the next 3-5 years. Then of course your insurer will pay you as little as possible for it. Then the money you’re going to lose buying a new car. Plus all the hassle it creates.

So it’s always a nightmare scenario...!

[gaby]

Originally Posted by Whiterdesign

The new Volvo keys do go to sleep when not moving, if you want you can replace your existing keys with the new ones, at a hell of a cost probably

I know about the new keys, but I fear they may not stop transmitting in circumastances
as described in the story of the tourists that were robbed.

[AB-UK]

Originally Posted by gaby

I read this on e Belgian newssite, so it's in dutch:https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2020/08...-auto-geen-og/
A family that made a stop on a highway parking during their trip in France was scammed in a way that is new to me.
The key was copied during the stop and a tyre was punctured. When they drove off, TPMS reported a flat tyre.
After they stopped, some bystanders (members of a gang) offered to help and others lured them away from the car.
This gave the thieves time enough to open the car and steal wallets and valuables.
This method seems to indicate that the keys should best always be kept in a safety pouch, not only during
the night when the car is on the drive. I understand that this can also happen with the "go to sleep" key.
I also understand that the car itself could get stolen afterwards if the thieves would follow it.

The make of the car isn't mentioned in the article.

The tyre puncture theft/robbery method is well known and sadly not infrequent - especially at service stations abroad.
Is the main point of this story that the copy key was used to open the car once the occupants had been lured away from it?
If there was no intention to steal the car they could have simply smashed a window.

[gaby]

Originally Posted by AB-UK

The tyre puncture theft/robbery method is well known and sadly not infrequent - especially at service stations abroad.
Is the main point of this story that the copy key was used to open the car once the occupants had been lured away from it?
If there was no intention to steal the car they could have simply smashed a window.

I didn't know this method is well known.
As I understand it, the aim of the gang was to be able to open the car in a dicrete way to steal valuables,
not to steal the car. It happend during the day on a highway parking/service station while the owners were
still relatively nearby, so smashing a window may not have been "an option".

[nu11eaf]

This has been going on for years, with any car not just keyless entry cars, they just distract you while the others rifle through your car to take your valuables.

[gaby]

Should it happen to me, my most valuable asset will hopefully not be in the car
Amongst my friends, I hear that keyless entry is perceived as a relativley safe feature.
But at the same time, some of them lock the car while walking away from it without verifying that it is indeed locked.