Car theft is nothing new. Ever since cars were a thing, thieves were finding new and creative ways to steal them and sell their parts. Just when we thought security was a lot better, the thieves seem to be one step ahead of us.
And with car fobs, it almost seems like it’s even easier.
Keyless car fobs are super convenient. You can open your car door and start you car without having to put the key into the ignition, or even have it in your hand.
But this wireless technology is also pretty easily exploited, especially by car thieves who know what they’re doing.
There’s a new “hack” that claims it’ll stop it, though.
Experts are now recommending that car owners wrap their fobs in aluminum foil overnight, Totally the Bomb reports . This is supposed to help hide the signal that car thieves are tapping into.
How would that work, though?
Car thieves are pretty savvy. They have devices that can relay the signal your fob gives out to a new device, which would trick your car into thinking the fob is around, letting them drive off without the fob. HuffPost writes .
So the metal in aluminum foil would block that signal.
However, THV11 verifies that, because it doesn’t completely block out the signal, you’re still going to be at risk of getting your car stolen from your driveway.
In other words, this hack isn’t really that useful.
In fact, you’d probably be better off just leaving it as is. Especially since all the effort of wrapping all the fobs for your cars every single night isn’t going to actually stop potential thefts.
There are other hacks, too, but they don’t seem practical either.
According to HuffPost, other hacks include placing your fobs in “secure” locations like the microwave or fridge. But you’re probably going to forget either putting them in there every night, or taking them out. And no one wants a melted fob in their microwave.
Does that mean all hope is lost?
Well, not exactly. Though car thefts aren’t uncommon there are a lot of thieves who won’t go through all the trouble. Plus, car manufactures are coming up with new ways to deter thieves.
They’re changing the way fobs work.
Well, in part. Many car manufacturers are developing methods to add extra security to fobs, including using pins, or making the signals more precise so that it’s harder for thieves to replicate them, HuffPost writes.
You could also invest in RFID-blocking technology.
If you’re really concerned about having your car stolen, you could invest in something called a Faraday bag, which would do a way better job at blocking the signals car thieves try to steal than a hunk of aluminum foil would.
h/t Totally the Bomb , HuffPost , THV11
