Criminals are now using retro gaming devices to steal cars by unlocking them without breaking the locks or windows, the AA has warned. Keyless thefts often involve relaying a signal from the fob inside the home to the car outside, however, new innovations allow thieves to access luxury vehicles with vintage gaming devices.
SOS Auto Keys – a tech firm in Bulgaria — sells a device built from old Nintendo Game Boys for an astounding £20,000. The company’s SOS Key Tool is advertised as “the most advanced locksmith tool” available. The gadget includes a warning that it should not be purchased for “unlawful intentions”, but the AA says this advice will not likely deter thieves.
A tutorial video on YouTube demonstrates how the device can unlock Kia, Hyundai, and Mitsubishi models in seconds. The modified gaming device records the car’s data and effectively becomes an authorized remote, enabling the car to be unlocked and started as if it were a valid key fob. The AA said the device, which became available in June, shows how technology used by criminals is becoming increasingly innovative.
There has been a 50 percent increase in car thefts in the UK over the last six years, with a record 106,291 last year. The device works by activating the car’s proximity system by pressing the button on the door handle. Then, data sent from the car is scanned and recorded by the Game Boy console. The thief can then choose the system of the car and the Game Boy calculates the necessary response, acting as the responder which the car recognizes as a valid proximity remote. The car can then be unlocked and started.
Luxury cars are often stolen and shipped abroad or dismantled in illegal chop shops and sold for parts. The West Midlands Police said they shut down over 100 chop shops last year alone! Thieves usually make just £1,500 per car, but are unlikely to get caught given the speed of the operation. According to Jack Cousens of the AA, “Thieves have levelled up from playing Grand Theft Auto on a console to using the console to commit Grand Theft Auto.”
Source: DailyMail
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