Warning to Car Owners Using Key Fobs

This is a Snopes approved story that appeared on Facebook and everyone I know has a key fob so I am sharing it with you.

Here is the story as it appeared:

I locked my car. As I walked away I heard my car door unlock. I went back and locked my car again - three times. Each time, as soon as I started to walk away, I would hear it unlock again! Naturally alarmed, I looked around and there were two guys sitting in a car in the fire lane next to the store. They were obviously watching me intently, and there was no doubt they were somehow involved in this very weird situation. I quickly chucked the errand I was on, jumped in my car and sped away. I went straight to the police station, told them what had happened, and found out I was part of a new, and very successful, scheme being used to gain entry into cars.

Two weeks later, my friend's son had a similar happening:

While traveling, this young man stopped at a roadside rest area to use the restroom. When he came out to his car less than 5 minutes later, someone had stolen his cell phone, laptop computer, GPS navigator, briefcase and whatever else they could find. He contacted the police and since there were no signs of his car being broken into, the police told him he had been a victim of this latest robbery tactic. 

There is a device now available that thieves are using to clone your security code when you lock your doors on your car using your key fob.  They sit a short distance away and watch for their next victim. They know you are going inside of the store, restaurant, or bathroom which gives them a few minutes to steal any items from their victim’s vehicle and run. The police officer told me to manually lock my car door by hitting the lock button inside my car.  By doing this, anyone looking to clone and steal your code through the airwaves will be unable to do so. 

Please be wisely aware of what you just read and pass the information on. You can save someone else the anger and frustration and aggravation of their vehicle being broken into and their personal property stolen.

It’s an unjust world out there. 

Be safe and share this story so that you and those you love won't fall victim to this latest scam.