Vehicle theft is a significant issue in India and globally. Car manufacturers regularly introduce new features to enhance vehicle security. Additionally, numerous aftermarket accessories are available in the market. However, just as technology evolves, thieves also adapt by devising new strategies to steal vehicles. Here, we have a video showing a thief managing to break into a Toyota Fortuner in less than 2 minutes. The entire act was captured by the CCTV camera installed outside the house.
The video was shared by News State on their YouTube channel, reporting an incident from Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur region. In the video, a thief arrives at the parked Fortuner on a scooter, with his partner riding it. The scooter halts next to the Fortuner. The thief alights and looks around while his partner moves the scooter forward. In a matter of seconds, the thief opens the door. Before entering, he is seen using a tool to unlock the door.
He proceeds to the co-passenger door, slides into the driver’s seat, and attempts to start the vehicle. It appears that the car’s security alarm was triggered as the hazard lamps were illuminated. It’s unclear if only the lights activated or if the alarm sounded too. Despite this, the burglar manages to manipulate the buttons, eventually unlocking, starting, and driving away in the car.
The car owners filed a complaint with the police, initiating a case. However, no leads have surfaced regarding the thief or the vehicle. The face of the thief is not clear in the video as he is wearing a cap. it is quite evident that he was aware of the CCTV camera placement. He is not seen looking into the camera even once. This probably hints that the thief might have been keeping a track of this vehicle and the house for some time. He might have analysed the area for all the possible issues that he might face before attempting this theft. Most contemporary vehicles come with advanced features such as immobilizers. Yet, vehicles equipped with keyless entry and start systems are vulnerable to breaches. Several online technologies exist to exploit these systems.
In this instance, the thief captured the VIN number and potentially accessed a PIN number from the dealership. This PIN is necessary to obtain a duplicate key. With this key, reprogramming takes only 15 minutes using specialized software, bypassing the car’s security system, assuming the owner is using the original keys. We have come across several cases in the past where police has actually recovered Stolen SUVs and cars worth crores from different parts of the country. Mostly these cars are either dismantled or driven to other states to avoid getting caught or traced by cops.
This situation is common with modern-day cars. Older models lack similar technological defenses. They often relied on central locking and additional measures like gear and steering locks to deter thieves. To safeguard your vehicle, traditional accessories such as wheel locks, gear, and steering locks remain effective. Thieves avoid spending prolonged periods with a vehicle, as the risk of detection increases. Installing a GPS tracker allows tracking of the vehicle’s exact location in case of theft.
