key cloning: near where I live there has been a number of cars opened by someone cloning the digital car keys and stealing the contents of the car,they have come near the front door of...

OZMON Loc: WIGAN UK

near where I live there has been a number of cars opened by someone cloning the digital car keys and stealing the contents of the car,they have come near the front door of the house , and using a small device that can clone the car key information and then they can use that to open your car, and steal any contents.
you can avoid this happening to you by keeping your keys in a tin, or you can buy a small wallet for your keys that keeps the cloning signal out.

Bob Mevis Loc: Plymouth, Indiana

Excellent advice.

MichaelH Loc: NorCal via Lansing, MI

OZMON wrote:

near where I live there has been a number of cars opened by someone cloning the digital car keys and stealing the contents of the car,they have come near the front door of the house , and using a small device that can clone the car key information and then they can use that to open your car, and steal any contents.
you can avoid this happening to you by keeping your keys in a tin, or you can buy a small wallet for your keys that keeps the cloning signal out.

A quick look at the news reports on this issue says that it involves capturing your key signal as it is sent to the car to lock or unlock it. The code cannot be captured if you are not using your key fob to lock or unlock the door. The article I read suggested not using the key fob to open or lock your car so as to avoid the capture of the code. Car owners without a "real" key are out of luck.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

The tin method does not always work, a little faraday wallet is more secure. Newer keys go to sleep if they don't move for a certain no. of seconds.

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

John N wrote:

The tin method does not always work, a little faraday wallet is more secure. Newer keys go to sleep if they don't move for a certain no. of seconds.

Then you must sleep with them to keep them moving?

Schoee Loc: Europe

MichaelH wrote:

A quick look at the news reports on this issue says that it involves capturing your key signal as it is sent to the car to lock or unlock it. The code cannot be captured if you are not using your key fob to lock or unlock the door. The article I read suggested not using the key fob to open or lock your car so as to avoid the capture of the code. Car owners without a "real" key are out of luck.

The usual way this works is by using an amplifier. The thief pushes the button on the car (usually on the door handle), this causes the car to transmit to the fob which then responds. So it does not matter if you press the fob. The amplifier makes the car think the fob is very close like it should be (normally in your pocket) and so it unlocks the car. Some newer fobs are protected against this as they go to sleep when not moving for a certain time and then wake up when you pick them up.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

What? A downside to modern technology? It seems that electronic devices are very difficult to protect. Look at all the computers getting hacked. There are wallets that supposedly block RFID. It might be a good idea to use something like that - or a Faraday cage - to protect electronics.

EDIT: I didn't know there was such a thing -
https://www.amazon.com/slp/faraday-cage/nn4t3n8exbcz7jn

EdJ0307 Loc: out west someplace

I miss out on a lot since I don't have a car with one of those fobs.
I have to stick the key in the lock and turn it to open the door. Bummer.
Then I have to stick the key in the ignition and turn it to start the car. Bummer
And I can't start the car from inside the house on those cold mornings. Bummer.

CaptainBobBrown

I tried to make a faraday cage for my Leaf fob (keyless entry) by cladding various containers with aluminum roofing tape but nothing worked reliably to stop signal from getting out. Aluminum foil wrap worked but that's not a practical solution so I ordered faraday key case online. We'll see if it works as described in the pitch on Amazon.

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

Usually done in a parking lot as you press the keyfob to lock the car as you walk away. Suggestion is that you lock with button on the door and then shut the door, not using the keyfob to lock it.

Stan Gould Loc: La Crosse, Wisconsin

EdJ0307 wrote:

I miss out on a lot since I don't have a car with one of those fobs.
I have to stick the key in the lock and turn it to open the door. Bummer.
Then I have to stick the key in the ignition and turn it to start the car Bummer
And I can't start the car from inside the house on those cold mornings. Bummer.

I’ll stick with a used vehicle and metal keys.

BBurns Loc: South Bay, California

Quick and dirty method is to wrap the key/fob in aluminum foil.

Just Shoot Me Loc: Ithaca, NY

A faraday cage as we used to use them to prevent stray radio waves interfering with airplane traffic was simply called “the screen room” meaning the entire room was made of aluminum window screen on a 2 x 4 frame inside of a CMU building.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Most mechanics can download an app to their phone that will mimic the key signal! Just google your registration number and engine number....

Smudgey Loc: Ohio, Calif, Now Arizona

This happened to me in Las Vegas after flying back from a month long trip to Thailand. I offered to buy my son and his girlfriend dinner on the way to the airport. They live in LV and I live in Arizona. We packed up the car with all of my luggage, souvenirs and of course camera gear, iPad and so on. We stoped at The SantaFe casino for dinner. After dinner, it was off to the airport to catch my plane back to Mesa AZ. We pulled over to the curb at McCarran, opened the back end of the Prius to get my stuff and it was empty, totally empty. According to the police, It seems that these devices are made in China and are able to read the digital keys easily. I had top of the line Canon gear. Some was insured some wasn't.