Pub. 1 2013 Issue 4

18 San Diego Dealer M ost experts agree that it is getting increasingly difficult to recover stolen vehicles because of the sophisticated tactics of organized crime rings. These professional thieves know how to outsmart smart keys and disable most anti-theft devices, leaving vehicles more vulnerable than ever to theft. And, they aren’t stopping there. Unfortunately, thieves are also outsmartingmany dealers who aren’t taking precautions to protect vehicles on their lots from theft. According to the FBI’s latest figures, vehicle theft is at its lowest point since the 1960s. Based on that information, it would appear that theft isn’t an issue that dealers need to be as concerned about. However, those numbers are deceptively positive for California dealers. • California has the highest number of vehicle thefts in the U.S. • Seven of the top 10 markets for theft are in California • Approximately one-third of all vehicle thefts in the U.S. occurred in the states that border Mexico. • The rate of stolen vehicles that are never recovered has reached a 30-year high (48%). That alarming percentage translates to nearly 372,000 vehicles not recovered in 2011 (latest data available). Vehicle thieves continue to employ a variety of methods to steal vehicles from dealerships. While some of their methods are not new, they are still successful which is why criminals use them. The following are some of the more prevalent techniques being used today: Test Drive Theft • Drive off before the sales person has a chance to get into the vehicle • Drive off when the sales person and the thief are switching seats • Drive off and never return if the thief is allowed to test drive a vehicle alone • Switch the real key with a look-alike fake key and give the fake key to the sales person at the end of the test drive By John Raber Accessing the Key • Steal keys from the keyboard by using distraction techniques • Steal keys from the service area • Wait in the customer lounge and see if they can get into the vehicle before the customer does and drive off • Copy the vehicle VIN and order new keys Fraudulent Theft • Use fake/stolen identity when purchasing a vehicle • Buy a vehicle with falsified credit information Technology Theft • Use high-tech tools to reprogram vehicles and enable ignition starts o Smart key maker o Smart key relay attack or frequency jammer o Foiling the keyless entry system o Code-grabbing devices LoJack recently compiled data frommore than 100 recoveries of vehicles equipped with a LoJack System that were stolen from dealer lots over the past three years. From this data, the company analyzed how thefts have occurred and compiled recommendations in a layered approach for dealers to protect the vehicles on their lots. Layer One: Use Common Sense Measures • Never leave the keys in a vehicle—it’s an open invitation for a crime of opportunity • Never leave a vehicle running—even if just to return inside the dealership to tell a customer the car is ready to test drive • Never let a customer test drive a vehicle unaccompanied andmake sure the sales person hands the key to the customer after both are inside the vehicle