The UK's most stolen car has been revealed as thieves are utilising technical equipment that helps them make off with the vehicle in under 90 seconds.
New figures obtained by insurer Confused.com show the Land Rover to be the most pinched car in Britain with one in every 100 SUVS robbed in the year ending March 2023. Hackers are using special hardware sold online to override the £100k vehicle's security system.
Mercedes-Benz comes in at second as the most popular target with 323 cars stolen per 100,000, followed by Ford, BMW and Audi. Data also shows black cars are the most likely to be stolen of any colour, reports the Daily Star.
Known as keyless car theft, criminals are targeting vehicles that can open, close and start without turning a key thanks to radio waves. As long as the key fob is within a certain range, the car can start and stop at the push of a button.
As a result, thieves are buying electronic devices for around £1,300 pounds that can interfere with these signals to quickly break into the vehicle.
Ken Munro, of security company Pen Test Partners, said: “I think they underestimated the ability of technologists to weaponise these attacks." Land Rover bosses have said it is enforcing a special security team dedicated to protecting owners against this type of theft.
A spokesman from Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said: "Protecting our clients from this level of organised crime is our priority.
"We have a team of dedicated experts working closely with police and partners - our proactive approach enables us to support criminal investigations; spot emerging trends earlier; and quickly determine and roll out measures that counter this criminality.
“One such solution includes UWB (ultra wide band) technology - JLR were the first manufacturer to integrate this into our vehicles to prevent ‘relay attacks’ (keyless). Our cars featuring this technology have been independently verified by the Which? and the ADAC.
"Our production vehicles are equipped with industry-leading security systems, and vehicles are fitted with Secure Tracker vehicle tracking systems - recently being rated by Thatcham Research as ‘superior’.
“We recommend clients use all available measures to protect their vehicle, including our ‘remote’ app to access a suite of security features such as vehicle lock reminders, and ‘guardian mode’ which monitors the vehicle, providing an alert if there is any unauthorised interaction."
A Cleveland Police spokesman said: "After a recent spate of 'keyless' thefts of vehicles across Cleveland, drivers are being reminded to store digital key fobs securely. Predominantly the incidents happen between 10pm and 6am.
"Ford Fiestas are one of the main cars stolen, with Range Rovers and other Ford vehicles also targeted. Whilst officers continue to gather intelligence and work to identify those responsible, we would remind drivers to keep taking steps to help protect their vehicles.
"Cars with keyless entry unlock automatically when the key comes within a short distance of the car. This can be from inside a pocket or bag. If you have to push a button on your car key to open your car, you don't have keyless entry.
"Keyless car theft or 'relay theft' is when a device is used to fool the car into thinking the key is close by. This unlocks the car and starts the ignition.
"Thieves only need to be within a few metres of your car key to capture the signal, even if it’s inside your home. This means that even if your car and home are secure, thieves can still unlock, start and steal your car."
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