Mercedes AMG CLA, Mazda CX-5, Lexus RX, Mini One – these cars, among others, were stolen this summer Criminals do not have holidays and take advantage of the appearance of tourists or holiday trips of car owners. How does car thefts look like during the holidays?
Opportunity makes the thief, and if so, a car left in a garage or on a street in connection with the owner’s vacation is an excellent opportunity.
Car thefts in summer? Of course!
On the one hand, a distracted tourist may forget to lock a car or may leave the keys in an easily accessible place. In this way, it facilitates the work of burglars and pickpockets cooperating with them. It also helps those criminals who use the “suitcase” method. Z drugiej strony, bo dla przestępców znaczenie ma czas. The longer they can work without fear of being caught ( and a car owner sunbathing by the Baltic Sea or the Masurian lake is unlikely to catch them), the better for them.
Where are cars stolen from during the holidays?
As a result, cars are stolen both from garages, streets and parking lots, including hotel parking lots. This happened, for example, in the case of a Volkswagen Caravelle, which disappeared from the Gołębiewski Hotel in Mikołajki on the night of June 28-29, 2020. W zeszłym roku głośno było o serii kradzieży Volkswagenów California, do których doszło na północy Polski. Last year, there was a series of thefts of Volkswagen California cars in northern Poland.
Thefts from car rentals
Thieves are interested not only in private cars but also in rental vehicles. here are usually two scenarios in their case. First scenario: a borrower does not return the vehicle on time and contact with him breaks off. Second scenario: a borrower claims that the car was stolen from him, when in fact he is a plant, i.e. a person put in a place to get a vehicle.
Car thefts on vacation – the “suitcase method’
Thefts are becoming easier as the number of models equipped with keyless systems is increasing. In their case, thieves actually don’t have to break into a car. All they need to do is use a signal amplifier, which will bring them closer to the key located, for example, in the trousers pocket of the owner eating roasted fish in a seaside restaurant. Using the so-called suitcase, they send a signal to the vehicle, which stands open in front of them and can be started. It is also possible when a car key is in the house or rented accommodation.
According to ADAC experts, devices of this type can be built with little effort – components worth several hundred zlotys are available in every electronics store. Interestingly, once an engine is started, it usually runs as long as there is fuel in the car’s tank. So if a thief refuels with the engine running, he can easily move in the stolen vehicle even over long distances.
Securing a car in the event of theft
– An owner of a stolen car usually wants the vehicle to be found as soon as possible. It is possible if the car is equipped with the radio monitoring system. Thanks to it, we are able to locate the car even in several dozen minutes, as long as we are quickly notified of its disappearance – says Mirosław Marianowski, Security Manager at Gannet Guard Systems. – We recover over 90 percent of vehicles in less than 24 hours. Importantly, we track cars even when thieves use GPS / GSM jammers. Our solution is resistant to them – he adds. dodaje.
