A sharp increase has been widely reported in thefts of Land Rovers, but the rises are across all types of vehicles. 87.2% were unsolved by the Metropolitan Police out of the 31,017 car thefts that took place in the capital last year. 1.6% led to a charge. The most common car brands to be stolen in the United Kingdom include Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Ford and BMW.
According to Carmoola, Car Finance Company, several cars are sold for profit or stripped of their parts. Some are sold overseas, where they are able to command higher prices than in the United Kingdom. Parts could be individually sold and are often more profitable than selling cars as a whole. Cars that have been stolen can be used after other crimes such as committing a robbery or to transport drugs have been committed by criminals, as getaway vehicles.
Criminals use cheap tracking devices for the purpose of monitoring, tracking and stealing vehicles with the technology being used by organised crime syndicates. These devices are concealed inside the vehicle or within the luggage, enabling the movement of the vehicle and its owner to be tracked by criminals before stealing it. Theft tends to take place if the car is unlocked, or just after the owner has parked it. The RAC suggests using an app such as Samsung’s Smart Things or Tracker Detect to check roof linings, wheel arches, storage areas, and fuel caps or even have your own tracking device fitted.
The RAC provides a useful checklist to help prevent theft, which includes using CCTV and dashcams, and visual deterrents such as a sturdy lock for the pedals, steering wheel or gearstick.
If your car has keyless technology, you should be aware of additional risks such as key hacking. Thieves use an electronic signal relay device to attack the built-in system that unlocks the car when the key is nearby. The best advice is to keep your keys as far as possible from your car when it is not in use or buy a bag that has been specifically designed to protect your keyless technology from these signals.
