‘Code grabbing’ from remote controls still being used to steal cars
February 03, 2016
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
A Santa Paulan wants to spread the word after his wife’s vehicle was stolen near an East Main Street church using a sophisticated method commonly known as “code grabbing.”
To protect their privacy the identity of the couple won’t be revealed.
The man said his wife’s vehicle was parked January 7 in the 700 block of East Main Street where she takes yoga classes. When the woman came out of the class her car was gone.
“She had the ‘clicker key’ still with her and she remembered using it to lock the car after removing the yoga mat from the trunk…” The woman reported the theft and while she was talking to Santa Paula Police a friend who was in the same yoga class reported seeing four men loitering in the area that made her uneasy, so she covered items of value before locking up.
“My wife usually does not use the clicker to lock her car, she uses the lock button on the armrest,” but since she had opened the trunk before exiting the car she was unable to do so with the trunk open. After she retrieved her yoga mat she used the remote clicker to lock the vehicle.
“She heard the familiar chirp...but then she heard another chirp,” and although the man said she “thought it was strange she shook it off, crossed the street,” and went to the yoga class.
When she returned her luxury model car was gone and there was no sign of broken glass that would have signaled a window broken to gain access to the vehicle.
“The use of the clicker to lock the car,” said the husband, “in essence gave the thieves the keys to her car. Along with the car keys, it gave them the address to our house,” due to the registration and other documents kept in the glove compartment, “ and access to the house through the garage door via the electronic garage door opener.
“It turns out, the thieves can record the electronic signal transmitted when you lock your car with the remote. That is all they need,” and, he noted, “Everything important to you is within their grasp.”
The man said he wants to spread the word so people can “better protect yourself…the sound of the chirp, letting you know you car is locked is really telling you your security may have been breached. Use the armrest-locking button to lock your car,” to prevent code grabbing.
He also recommends that car owners “Rethink keeping registration and proof of insurance in the glove compartment and don’t ever leave your ‘locked’ car with your dog — unless it is really big — or anything else you couldn’t live without, in the car. This is the world we now live in. These electronic ‘conveniences’ are compromising our security...”
Santa Paula Police Chief Steve McLean agreed that “code-grabbing” does exist — devices to capture the electronic signal for playback can even be purchased online — but said it is becoming increasingly rare due to most modern remote controls now having rolling codes.
“So, even if a car thief is able to capture the transmission from the remote, it will not work when they play it back,” as the code changes from one click of the remote to another.
Although such technology can still have vulnerabilities McLean said nowadays “A guy with a Slim Jim is probably more likely to break into and steal your car than a guy with a code-grabber.”
