Wrap your car key fob in TINFOIL to stop thieves unlocking your vehicle using terrifying signal hijacking scams, warn security experts

• A signal hijacking scam means criminals can use radio devices to 'read' car keys
• Hacking into keyless cars is the new modus operandi of 'digitally savvy thieves'
• However, the key to stopping such attacks is to create a 'faraday cage'
• This means criminals cannot track the electromagnetic signals - and tinfoil does just that

Car owners should wrap their key fob in tinfoil to stop thieves unlocking their vehicles, a security expert has warned.

A terrifying signal hijacking scam dubbed 'relay theft' means criminals can use radio devices to 'read' car keys from outside your home.

However, the key to stopping such attacks is to create a 'faraday cage' which means criminals cannot track the electromagnetic signals - and tinfoil does just that.

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Car owners should wrap their key fob in tinfoil to stop thieves unlocking their vehicles, a security expert has warned

According to ex-FBI agent Holly Hubert who is now CEO of GlobalSecurityIQ, the simple hack can protect cars from being stolen.

'Although it's not ideal, it is the most inexpensive way,' she told the Detroit Free Press.

'The cyber threat is so dynamic and ever changing, it's hard for consumers to keep up.'

Alternatively, drivers can go online and buy a Faraday bag for a few pounds.  

Just like tinfoil, this metal-lined container blocks electromagnetic signals meaning thieves are unable to pick up the signal.

Motoring campaigners and police have said hacking into keyless cars has become the new modus operandi of 'digitally savvy thieves'. 

Keyless technology is designed to increase convenience for motorists as it typically means they need just a small fob to unlock their cars, and can drive by pressing an ignition button.

However, criminals are exploiting this with devices such as relay boxes, available to buy cheaply on Amazon and eBay for as little as £260 ($344).

These gadgets let criminals pick up the signal from a car's keyless fob lying inside the owner's home, and extend this signal to unlock the car and start it.

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Keyless technology is designed to increase convenience for motorists as it typically means they need just a small fob to unlock their cars, and can drive by pressing an ignition button. But criminals are exploiting this with devices such as relay boxes (pictured)

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The vehicle's security system is tricked into thinking the key fob is present.

'This should be something we don't need to wrap with foil. It's 2018', said Moshe Shlisel, CEO of GuardKnox Cyber Technologies.

'Car companies need to find a way so no one can replicate the messages and the communication between the key and the vehicle.'

Offenders have been caught on camera strolling up driveways, before holding the devices against the car owner's front door.

A total of 89,000 vehicles were stolen in England and Wales last year, the equivalent of ten every hour, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is a 56 per cent rise in just 12 months, up from 57,000 in 2016.

It is the highest number since the year to March 2012.

In a damning indictment of how easy it has become for criminals to steal cars, the ONS said almost half of thefts, they are 'entering the vehicle through an unlocked door'.

The figures appear to undermine claims from manufacturers that modern cars are more secure than ever.

How do thieves steal your car without the keys? The hi-tech 'relay' gadget that uses signals to unlock vehicles parked outside homes

What is relay theft? 

Theft relay occurs when two thieves work together to break into cars which have keyless entry systems.

The thieves can use equipment to capture signals emitted by certain keys which are used to start new vehicles.

One thief stands by the car with a transmitter, while the other stands by the house with another, which picks up the signal from the key which is usually kept near the front door on a table or hook.

This is then relayed to the other transmitter by the vehicle, causing it to think the key is in close proximity and prompting it to open. Thieves can then drive the vehicle away and quickly replace the locks and entry devices.

Technically, any vehicle with keyless entry could be vulnerable to relay theft. 

These included cars from BMW, Ford, Audi, Land Rover, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Mercedes cars.

How can you protect your vehicle against relay theft?

According to research by the Institute of the Motor Industry, over half of motorists are worried their car could be accessed and stolen by remote thieves.

Fifty per cent of people surveyed weren't aware that their car might be vulnerable to cyber attacks, and while drivers shouldn't become paranoid about the safety of their car it's always a good idea to take precautions.

This has long been a necessary precaution in order to avoid car theft, but it's important to make sure that your key is as far from the front door as possible so its signal can't be picked up.

As hacking devices get more sophisticated, they may be able to pick up signals from further away.

This may seem a bit excessive, but a metal box could be the best place to store your keys overnight as the metal could block the signal being detected.

Lorna Connelly, head of claims at Admiral said: 'Unfortunately, we do see a claims from customers who have had their cars stolen due to relay theft and it's a problem that we would advise motorists with keyless cars to be aware of.

'Despite progresses in anti-theft technology, thieves are always coming up with new ways to make off with your vehicle.

'We are urging all of our customers to keep their keys a safe distance from the door and consider storing them in a metal box. While this may seem like an extreme solution, relay theft is an extreme practice.'