Thieves Are Using Bluetooth to Target Vehicle Break-Ins (article)

[Clint]

https://www.outsideonline.com/2406433/thieves-bluetooth-scanner-vehicle-break-in

"“There are some people, auto burglars, who actually detect that signal and target your car for that,” a San Jose Police Department representative told CBS. San Francisco saw a 24 percent increase in vehicle break-ins between 2016 and 2017, and while 2018 saw a slight decrease, 2019 is on track to be a record year."


"but an ability to see exactly what your vehicle may be hiding, and calculating that value ahead of time, could encourage thieves to work harder to get into the more inaccessible areas of your vehicle when they know the reward for committing the crime. And because seeing what you’re hiding only requires a smartphone app, those thieves have the ability to do their sleuthing undetected."

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

They will have found my 20 dollar cheapo bluetooth adapter.

 

[JKalchik]

While there are benefits for "connected" vehicles.... personally speaking, I'm really not interested in one. I can't remember the last time I locked keys in a vehicle, I don't use remote start, and nothing I own is even in warranty.

Even the RFID keyfobs make me uncomfortable. I don't want a vehicle performing any sort of action unless I make a positive action first, like twisting a key in a lock, or pressing a button on a fob. I really don't like the ability to start a car if the fob is in reception range.

For that matter..... if you're at a drive-up ATM, get in the habit of locking all of your doors, especially if you're the only vehicle there. Too easy to get carjacked through a passenger door while you're withdrawing.

And yes, before anybody says it, my tinfoil hat is on tight......

 

[MartinB]

Much ado about nothing.
Yes, theres stupid thieves

But an ipad, phone, laptop with location software , and password protected, has virtually no value to be stolen. Except parts. That doesn't keep stupid people from trying, stupid people will take anything. And yes there's a lot of stupid people.

I can cite half a dozen stories of people I know who had their phone stolen..... That were able to tell the police exactly where it was too. No one worries about it today, even carrying around $1,000 phones, because it's not as prevalent as you might expect. many people carry insurance on them and it's not even that big deal if it goes missing. It's a brick and they get a new phone. Most of their pics is backed up to the cloud.