Car Thieves in Yorkshire Used Game Boys
Alex Reale
· 3 min read
Car theft
is a perennial problem for car owners. It can only take a moment of inattentiveness or a misplaced key for thieves to jump on an opportunity. There are simple steps you can take to
protect
against these types of human errors, but what about when thieves are going increasingly digital? Here’s how car thieves in Yorkshire used Game Boys to steal cars.
A bizarre use of an old device
According to
BBC News
, a gang of Yorkshire men was caught on video using a device that looked like a classic Nintendo Game Boy to steal a total of five Mitsubishi Outlanders. Video footage of the incident shows two men approaching the driver-side door of a Mitsubishi Outlander in a garage. One of them brandishes a Game Boy, which unlocks the door, and one of the men climbs in as the other dashes away. The whole event takes just seconds. The thieves were apprehended by Yorkshire police and the device was recovered.
Police reported that this altered Game Boy costs about $27,000. It likely employed technology that copied electronic signals from the cars’ key fobs. Once the thieves had the signal copied, they could use it to access the vehicles. It’s not clear why they chose a Game Boy. Perhaps in this day and age, an iPhone would be less suspicious.
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How to protect yourself from car theft
MORE: 15 People in Milwaukee Allegedly Had Cars Stolen by One Man
Luckily, as car thieves are getting more creative, so are the methods for protection from them. Car owners can stick to tried and true game plans, like getting a steering wheel or driveway lock, but they can also consider investing in signal-blocking technology. These devices block would-be thieves from copying the signal of your fob, which is a great defense against a less visible attempt at theft.
Car theft is an all-too-common crime, so taking steps to protect yourself from it can save you major time, money, and energy.
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