Gone in 60 seconds: Shocking video shows car thieves stealing £39,000 Mercedes from a driveway in under a minute - without using a key
- CCTV footage shows Mercedes GLC being broken into by three men in Dudley
- One man holds what appears to be transmitter up towards the house's front door
- The others crouch down by £39,000 motor before its front door opens for them
Brazen thieves have been caught on camera stealing a £39,000 Mercedes GLC from a driveway in less than a minute - all without using a key.
The group were filmed using an aerial relay to steal the luxury motor from outside a home in Dudley, on Saturday.
CCTV footage – which was shared online by a furious family member – shows how the trio took the vehicle at around 4am.
The clip shows a man, wearing a hoodie and scarf pulled over his face, creeping around the back of the car before two others appear in the frame.
The first man goes to the car's front door as all three of them duck down and two make their way to the back of the vehicle.
One of the men's face covering then slips revealing part of his beard and he holds an item, thought to be a transmitter, up towards the camera.
The trio appear to be using relay gadgets to pick up signals from the car key inside the house and then transmit it to unlock the Mercedes.
As this is happening the others step closer to the car door once more and it appears they have gained access to the expensive motor.
Three thieves were caught on camera using an aerial relay to steal a Mercedes GLC from outside a home in Dudley, in the early hours of Saturday.
One man holds what is thought to be a transmitter up to the front door. This would pick up a signal from the car key inside
Taking to social media, a family member said: 'Everyone please share! A family member's car has been stolen off the drive!
'If anyone knows any information or whereabouts of the car, or who is involved, please contact the police.'
The technique, using gadgets available online, is swift and silent. Experts have said storing fobs and keys away from doors can help avoid falling victim to the trick.
The trio crouch down by the car during the early morning incident before the clip ends when they gain access to the expensive vehicle
Other security suggestions included using steering locks, having car windows security etched, using a car cover, as it will take considerably longer to gain access to the car, or securing your car with a wheel lock.
In 2017, there were 109,469 thefts of a vehicle reported to police, 187 thefts for every 100,000 residents. That corresponds to 12 cars stolen every hour across England and Wales.
West Midlands Police have confirmed they are investigating the theft and are urging anyone with information to contact them on 101, quoting 20DY/35049G/20.
How do thieves steal your car without the keys? The hi-tech 'relay' gadget that uses signals to unlock vehicles parked outside homes.
What is relay theft?
Relay theft occurs when two thieves work together to break into cars which have keyless entry systems.
The thieves can use equipment to capture signals emitted by certain keys which are used to start new vehicles.
One thief stands by the car with a transmitter, while the other stands by the house with another, which picks up the signal from the key which is usually kept near the front door on a table or hook.
This is then relayed to the other transmitter by the vehicle, causing it to think the key is in close proximity and prompting it to open. Thieves can then drive the vehicle away and quickly replace the locks and entry devices.
Technically, any vehicle with keyless entry could be vulnerable to relay theft.
These included cars from BMW, Ford, Audi, Land Rover, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Mercedes cars.
How can you protect your vehicle against relay theft?
According to research by the Institute of the Motor Industry, over half of motorists are worried their car could be accessed and stolen by remote thieves.
Fifty per cent of people surveyed weren't aware that their car might be vulnerable to cyber attacks, and while drivers shouldn't become paranoid about the safety of their car it's always a good idea to take precautions.
This has long been a necessary precaution in order to avoid car theft, but it's important to make sure that your key is as far from the front door as possible so its signal can't be picked up.
As hacking devices get more sophisticated, they may be able to pick up signals from further away.
This may seem a bit excessive, but a metal box could be the best place to store your keys overnight as the metal could block the signal being detected.
Lorna Connelly, head of claims at Admiral, said: 'Unfortunately, we do see a claims from customers who have had their cars stolen due to relay theft and it's a problem that we would advise motorists with keyless cars to be aware of.
'Despite progresses in anti-theft technology, thieves are always coming up with new ways to make off with your vehicle.
'We are urging all of our customers to keep their keys a safe distance from the door and consider storing them in a metal box. While this may seem like an extreme solution, relay theft is an extreme practice.'
SOURCE: Admiral
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