Relay car theft is a modern type of theft used by vehicle thieves to bypass the technology behind keyless car entry. Since the number of keyless car models is expanding with each new car design, thieves have established this new way of breaking into vehicles, making it even easier to drive away with a stolen car in just a few minutes. While leaving hardly any evidence behind them. With this evolving trend of vehicle theft, car owners have had to become far more vigilant and invest into the protection of their beloved vehicles.
The rise of relay theft in the UK
Keyless car theft, or more commonly referred to as relay theft in the industry, is certainly on the rise in the UK. With a greater number of car models using keyless entry, this type of theft has equally evolved. Making it possible for thieves to enter a keyless car without the key fob, simply using relay equipment, thieves can pick up the signal of the fob, even if this is inside the house, replicating this signal and unlocking the car. Hundreds of reports from across the UK indicate that this type of theft allows thieves to drive away with some of the most premium models on the market in just a few minutes. Leaving no trace, this type of theft can also make it incredibly difficult to gather evidence against these thieves. Some car owners don’t even realise their car has gone until awaking the next morning.
In order to combat the rise of relay theft in the UK, several security measures have become popular amongst vehicle owners. This includes the use of additional alarms, security bollards on driveways, GPS trackers and a type of immobiliser device known as a ghost immobiliser.
Ghost Immobilisers
A Ghost Immobiliser can be fitted discreetly onto a vehicle and much like a GPS tracker or additional alarm system provides an extra layer of security for the vehicle.
The Ghost Immobiliser is compatible with every type of major vehicle model, making it the perfect choice for the majority of drivers in the UK. The additional layer of security requires drivers to input a pin code sequence in order to start a car, which will completely stop thieves in their tracks, even if they gain access to the vehicle. This modern version of a standard immobiliser is the perfect solution for protecting vehicles against keyless entry (relay theft).
What Makes A Ghost Immobiliser Different From Standard Immobilisers?
Standard immobilisers have been a compulsory fitting on all car models in England and Wales since 1998. This means any new car dated after ‘98 will have a manufacturer immobiliser already installed.
First introduced in the early 90s, immobilisers were created to protect vehicles from “hot wiring” which was an incredibly common problem in the 80s and 90s. Since vehicles were much easier to access and had little technology to protect them, hot wiring became a worrying problem for car owners. As technology has advanced and car models have embraced ultra-modern designs, the standard immobiliser however, no longer works to protect against types of theft like relay theft.
The key difference between a ghost immobiliser and a standard immobiliser is the additional layer of protection thanks to the use of a pin code.
Can A Thief Bypass An Immobiliser?
With a Ghost Immobiliser fitted it is basically impossible for a thief to drive away with your vehicle. They will be unable to clone your keys and override the technology of the Ghost Immboliser, without knowledge of the unique pin code. Plus, the Ghost is completely invisible and undetectable to thieves, making it impossible for them to use diagnostic equipment in order to cut the security protection.
