Boy, how times have changed.
According to a report by The Star Online, a car thief could hack into your vehicle and drive away with it in less than 10 seconds!
Senior Asst Comm Khairuldin Saad told the online portal that car thieves today are armed with high-tech gadgets such as a frequency duplicator - a device that could duplicate the radio channel used to lock and unlock a car - to break into vehicles, especially those with keyless entry.
What this means is, ACP Khairuldin said, a car thief could get into your vehicle in just six seconds as they do not need to unlock your car manually and hot-wire it to start like how Nicolas Cage did in the movie.
And here's the scary part: the thieves would also use a GPS jammer to prevent the car from being traced after it was driven off.
So, once it's gone, it's gone lah.
In a more shocking relevation, ACP Khairuldin said the car thieves usually purchase these gadgets from online marketplaces.
We did a quick search on a popular online shopping site, and true enough, we found listings of these duplicators on the website, with some going for as cheap as RM6.50:
It's pretty alarming to know that any Ali, Muthu and Ah Beng can purchase these gadgets online and decide to become a car thief, so what do you need to do to prevent your car from being stolen?
Well, according to ACP Khairuldin, doing it the old school way is the best way: install extra locking mechanisms in your car, such as steering and pedal locks.
“These old fashioned locks would make it longer and harder for them to take away the vehicle,” he was quoted as saying.
Here's a list of vehicles that are stolen the most in Malaysia. If your vehicle is in that list, it's time to beef up your security, son!
In case you're that unlucky and your car gets stolen - touch wood! - here's what you need to do:
- Call your friends and family members to make sure that they're not pranking you by driving away your car with a spare key. You may laugh, but pranks like these happen.
- If it's not a prank, call the local state municipal to check if your car was towed away because of some traffic violation.
- Ask people around the area to see if they saw your car or noticed anyone suspicious loitering around the area. Most shops have security cameras installed, so if you park near a shop, ask if they could provide you with a copy of the footage.
- Next, check the area where you last saw your car. Check to see if there are any traces of a break in, such as broken glass or any items that could be used to break a window. If there is, take a picture of the area.
- Call the police and provide them with sufficient information that could help them with the investigation, including the time you parked your car and the time you noticed it missing. Also provide them with photographic evidence and CCTV footage, if any.