Britain’s most stolen car revealed and how gangs use keyless tech to steal motors worth £55k straight from YOUR driveway
The Land Rover is Britain’s most stolen car as professional thieves with key fobs flee into the £100,000 SUVs in under 90 seconds.
According to the latest figures, one in every 100 Land Rovers was stolen in the year to March 2023.
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Criminals use technology to simply drive cars away while owners lie in bed.
According to the latest figures from Confused.com, the Land Rover theft rate is 924 thefts per 100,000.
Mercedes-Benz were the second most popular target for thieves, with 323 stolen cars per 100,000.
After Mercedes, Ford, BMW and then Audi were the most heavily targeted cars. The same data showed that black cars were stolen more often than any other color.
Even though brands like Land Rover and Mercedes have increasingly sophisticated security systems, scammers use technology to stay ahead of the game.
The times has reported how car hackers used hardware that could override a car’s security system.
Selling online for around £1,300, the devices allow criminals to simply drive away cars in under 90 seconds.
Ken Munro of Pen Test Partners, a security firm, said, “I think they underestimated the ability of technologists to weaponize these attacks.”
Teeside Live has reported that some of the stolen Land Rovers have been involved in serious incidents on the roads.
A taxi driver was seriously injured after a suspected stolen Range Rover being pursued by police collided with the vehicle on Stockton’s Bridge Road, at the junction with Parkfield Road, in the early hours of June 1.
A stolen black Land Rover plows into the ground floor of a flat in Thornaby after being briefly pursued by police.
In January, a schoolboy was arrested after driving a Range Rover in a police chase on the A17
A Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) spokesman said: “Protecting our customers from this level of organized crime is our priority.”
“We have a team of dedicated professionals working closely with law enforcement and partners – our proactive approach allows us to support criminal investigations, anticipate emerging trends and quickly identify and implement actions to counteract this crime.”
“One of these solutions includes UWB (Ultra Wide Band) technology – JLR was the first manufacturer to integrate this into our vehicles to prevent ‘relay attacks’ (keyless).
“Our vehicles with this technology were tested independently of the Which? and verified by the ADAC.
“Our production vehicles are equipped with industry-leading security systems and the vehicles are equipped with Secure Tracker vehicle tracking systems, recently rated ‘superior’ by Thatcham Research.”
“We encourage our customers to use all available measures to protect their vehicle, including our ‘Remote’ app to access a range of security features such as vehicle lock reminders and ‘Sentinel Mode’ which monitors the vehicle and in case of unauthorized access issues a warning Interaction.”
A Cleveland Police spokesman said: “Following a recent spate of ‘keyless’ thefts from vehicles across Cleveland, motorists are being reminded to keep digital key fobs safe. Most of the incidents occur between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m..”
“Ford Fiestas are among the most frequently stolen cars, but Range Rovers and other Ford vehicles are also being targeted.”
“As officers continue to gather information and work to identify those responsible, we would like to remind drivers to continue taking steps to protect their vehicles.”
“Cars with keyless entry will automatically unlock when the key is within a short distance of the car. This can be done from a pocket or bag. If you have to press a button on your car key to open your car, you don’t have to do keyless entry.
“Keyless car theft, or ‘relay theft’, uses a device to trick the car into thinking the key is nearby. This will unlock the car and start the ignition.
“Thieves need to be just a few feet from your car key to pick up the signal, even if it’s inside your home. That means thieves can unlock, start and steal your car even when your car and home are secure.”
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