Criminals steal more than 350 cars every day, and this number is growing. This spike is due to the rise of keyless entry cars; and how quickly a thief can hack that system. Thankfully, there is a cheap and easy way to protect your car, using an RFID Faraday pouch.
This video shows thieves stealing a vehicle by keyless theft in under a minute without any noise. Scary! Your car will be long gone by the time you realise it’s missing.
How do you protect your car against keyless entry theft? Well, it’s easier (and cheaper) than you think.
What is keyless car theft and how does it work?
Keyless entry and keyless start features are widely available on most new vehicles – especially luxury cars like Range Rovers. In fact, criminals lean toward high-end vehicles because they are easy to steal through keyless theft.
Your car key fob sends a signal to a receiver inside the car. That’s how your car knows the key is nearby to unlock and start the engine.
Put simply, criminals boost this signal via small devices, even a mobile phone, to trick your vehicle into thinking the car key is nearby. It’s like a Wi-Fi booster in your home.
How can I stop my keyless car from being stolen?
There are some simple steps you can take to prevent your keyless entry vehicle being stolen by a thief:
Avoid/disable keyless entry
The most obvious is buying a car without this feature. That said, we shouldn’t have to lose nice things because of a few bad people. You should be able to disable the keyless entry function in your car – check your handbook (or you can probably find a tutorial on YouTube).
Secure your car
Where possible, keep your car in a locked garage, or behind a locked barrier, with a steering wheel lock on. This makes it more difficult for thieves, and increases the chances of getting caught, so it will act as a deterrent, and they’ll look for an easier target.
Please share this post with your neighbours, as their car might be next!
Add a tracker
If you don’t have a garage, you could fit a tracking device into your car. Though this can be expensive, it helps the police find your vehicle if it’s stolen.
However, we need to stop it from being stolen in the first place. To do this, we’ll need to block the key fob RFID signal. This way, thieves can’t boost it to access your car in the first place.
Use a Faraday Pouch
To protect your car, keep your car keys in a Faraday pouch or Faraday box. This is a cheap but effective way to block the RFID signal entirely.
What is a Faraday Pouch?
A Faraday pouch or Faraday bag is a key pouch for your car keys. It’s made from layers of shielding material, often called RFID signal blockers, which block the signal from your key fob. Criminals will not be able to piggyback since it completely eliminates the risk of your car being stolen.
The only downside is if you lose your pouch with the car key inside. In fact, it’s so good that even signals from Bluetooth locators will be blocked. If you misplace your keys regularly, or have multiple keys, you might be better with a Faraday box.
The boxes do the same job, but they can hold multiple key fobs, credit card, and other electronic device, such as your mobile phone or tablet, to keep your personal information safe. They’re a great place to keep your spare key fob, and can be kept in a safe place, so you always know where to find it.
Features and Benefits:
- Pocket-sized pouch for easy storage
- Fits all key fobs
- Blocks RFID signal and prevents theft
- Advanced shielding material
- External keyring for locator fob
- Velcro ensure a tight seal
- Highly effective and affordable
What is the best Faraday Pouch?
The best faraday pouch is one that works. You’ll want a durable one – constantly inserting and removing keys can scrape the material and cause the signal to leak through.
I bought a pack of 2 medium pouches from Amazon. They are made from high-quality shielding material that create a Faraday cage around your keyless fobs to prevent keyless theft.
I placed my key fob inside the pouch and tried to start my engine while sitting inside the car with the key. It displayed ‘key not detected’ on my dashboard. I then got out, locked the car and tried to use my keyless entry, which also failed.
Before using a Faraday pouch for my car keys, I used to look outside whenever I heard a noise. Not anymore. Now, I sleep easier at night knowing my car is protected.
FAQ's about Faraday pouches for keyless cars
You would use a Faraday pouch when you want to protect your personal information on small devices or keyless car. A Faraday pouch blocks signals between an electronic device, such as key fobs, credit card, your tablet, and receivers, such as RFID readers. This is why they make excellent security for keyless cars.
If you have no keyless function in your car, then no. But I strongly advise you buy a Faraday pouch if you have keyless entry fobs and/or a push-button start.
Although it is more difficult for thieves to enter the car, it can still be remotely started once they are in.
While tin foil can block signals, it’s not guaranteed. If your key fob is not fully covered, the signal can leak through gaps. Also, tin foil tears easily. An affordable faraday pouch has better durability with special Faraday fabric.
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