Thief tries to steal £90,000 BMW using hidden transmitter

A bungling thief in a monkey mask tried to steal a £90,000 BMW by using a transmitter hidden in a satchel.

But the clumsy criminal fled the scene when he was confronted with the victim who asked him: ‘What the **** are you doing?’. 

In the video, the would-be thief can be seen holding the bag thought to have a transmitting device inside it that boosts the signal from the BMW keyless fob, which the thief believed would be behind the door.

A bungling thief in a monkey mask tried to steal a £90,000 BMW by using a transmitter hidden in a satchel

The would-be thief can be seen holding the bag thought to have a transmitting device inside it that boosts the signal from the BMW keyless fob, which the thief believed would be behind the door

The would-be thief can be seen holding the bag thought to have a transmitting device inside it that boosts the signal from the BMW keyless fob, which the thief believed would be behind the door

He holds the satchel up to the door while moving around trying to get a signal and looking back towards the car to see if he’s been successful. 

But the suspected was confronted by the car owner’s 24-year-old son, which took place at 2.20am on November 23 in Benfleet, Essex in the southeast of England. 

The family’s CCTV captured the startled thief who was seen running away and falling over.

HOW DOES THE TECHNIQUE WORK?

Criminals stand near houses with a device that picks up the signal of the car key and relays it to an accomplice standing near the car with another transmitter, which unlocks and starts the vehicle.

Drivers have been advised to take precautions such as turning off the fob’s radio signal – achieved on Mercedes cars by clicking it twice – or storing it in a metal-lined container.   

According to the home owner, the keyless fob to the BMW M6 – which retail for more than £90,000 – was actually upstairs, so the thief’s attempts were never likely to work. 

This recent trend of ‘relay crime’ is the latest type of vehicle theft that is causing concern for car owners and police. 

The BMW uses a keyless ignition system, which means they can be unlocked if the vehicle detects a fob nearby. 

The car’s owner believes the video shows the thief using a device inside the satchel to extend the signal, which makes the fob appear closer than it actually is – in order to fool the car’s keyless start system. 

He writes: ‘My wife and three friends had been to watch a show in the West End and arrived home around midnight. 

They picked up our eldest son, Jack, who works in London and came back to our house. 

‘They continued to chat and drink when at 2.20am our motion detector alerted that someone was on our drive, Jack then opened the door and confronted the man in the monkey mask shouting ‘What the f… are you doing?’ 

He turned to run with his accomplice but fell flat on his face.’ The two were able to make their getaway on foot through nearby woods. 

The family's CCTV captured the startled thief who was seen running away and falling over

The family’s CCTV captured the startled thief who was seen running away and falling over

This graphic shows how criminals are able to use relatively basic technology to steal a high-end motor

This graphic shows how criminals are able to use relatively basic technology to steal a high-end motor

 



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk