You may remember your grandparents locking their car by turning the key in the lock and then jiggling the handle to ensure it was secure. Simply locking your car today isn’t enough to protect it from modern-day car thieves, who use technology to steal your car. You may think you're safe because your car has an alarm, but thieves know how to bypass the system and start your car remotely. There are, however, things you can do to protect your car from a thief with a transmitter. Some people wrap their key fob in aluminum foil, which will shorten the range of a transmitter and make it harder, if not impossible, for thieves to capture the signal. The downside is that car owners also have to be closer to the car to unlock or start it. Of course, that’s a small price to pay in exchange for an inexpensive, convenient solution that beats trying to recover a stolen vehicle. Another option is RFID-blocking pouches that are like little sleeping bags for your key fob that block the signal from escaping. If the thieves can’t detect or access the signal from your key fob, they won’t be able to boost or relay it. There are four simple ways to protect your car from thieves with transmitters:
- 1. Don’t leave your keys near doors or windows.
- 2. Consider turning off keyless entry.
- 3. Use an old-school steering wheel lock.
- 4. Update your car’s software to stay ahead of security vulnerabilities.
