The website “Hijacking.net” has compiled a list of the most popular car hijackers in Russia. Like last year, the number of stolen cars is dominated by popular cars, which can later be easily resold “on hand”.
So if you are a happy owner of a car brand LADA, Toyota or Hyundai, be on the lookout. Your chances of suffering from a crime are higher than those of other car owners. And the worst thing is the owners of "Lada" - the best-selling brand with manual transmission in Russia. According to the traffic police statistics, which the rating compilers focused on, this is the most stolen domestic car. Almost one third (5,655 cases) of the total number of passenger cars stolen in 2018 accounted for this model. Especially attackers like LADA 2107 and Six.
Top 10 most stolen foreign cars in Russia
10. Renault Duster - 222 hijackings.
9. Mazda CX-5 - 238 hijackings.
8. Toyota Land Cruiser 200 - 244 hijackings.
7. Renault Logan - 282 hijackings.
6. Toyota Corolla - 300 hijackings
5. Toyota RAV4 - 317 hijackings.
4. Ford Focus - 463 hijackings.
3. Toyota Camry (one of the most economical cars) - 695 thefts.
2. Kia Rio - 976 thefts.
1. Hyundai Solaris - 1265 hijackings.
The owners of LADA Xray feel most at ease - over the past year, only 13 episodes of car theft of this brand have been registered.
Machines by specific gravity of thefts (number of cases per 1000 cars of this brand)
9. Samara 13 - 0.6 hijackings.
8. Priora - 0.6 hijackings.
7. VAZ-2103 - 0.6 hijackings.
6. SUV Lexus LX - 3.3 hijackings.
5. Cadillac Escalade - 4.1 hijackings.
4. Lexus ES - 4.1 hijackings.
3. Genesis G80 - 4.7 hijackings.
2. Nissan GT-R - 6.2 hijackings.
1. Volga-21 - 12.5 hijackings.
Full statistics on models
The main methods that hijackers use and how to resist them
There are many ways to hijack a car - from the traditional combination of two wires to a sophisticated cyber attack.
Mechanical
The easiest way is when the cracker manually opens the lock with a master key or special twisting, or, using a pneumatic pillow, squeezes the door or hood. And, yes, yes, as in old films, it connects two wires.
How to counter this: equip your iron horse with a modern security device.
Alarm Failure
But if the alarm is, and it is impossible to neutralize, the hijackers can use another tactic - in various ways to provoke the security system to trigger. Usually this happens at night, the neighbors are outraged, and the annoyed owner turns off the alarm. The result can be predicted.
How to counter this: equip the car with a more advanced security system, with the ability to alert, turn off the signal and block and / or immobilizer.
Human factor
Thieves bribe the guards of the parking lot or conspire with the dealer / service worker to make the necessary manipulations. For example, they turned a blind eye to the penetration of strangers into the territory or used a device to intercept the signal from the key fob. Some also bribe tow truck drivers so that they pick up the car the hijackers need and take them to a quiet place where they will be deprived of all security systems.
How to counter this: alas, almost nothing. It remains only to equip the machine with a tracking device, so that in the future it will be easier to find. And when buying a car, you definitely need to reprogram all the key rings.
Signal Relay
As a rule, keyless access is simple enough - the key fob emits a radio signal “understandable” to the car with a short range, literally a meter or two. When the corresponding vehicle is at this distance, the car's receiving device recognizes the signal, the doors unlock, the car starts.
Using the relay method, hijackers use wireless transmitters to read and transmit the signal from the key fob to the receiving device in the hands of an accomplice located next to the car. And as soon as he is inside the car, the operation can be repeated to start the engine; keyless systems require that the keychain be inside when the machine starts.
True, for this the thief needs to get close to the source of the “correct” signal — either to the front door, or to the window, or to stand close to the owner in public places. An accomplice can be anywhere far away (up to a distance of one kilometer).
How to counter this: many car owners buy special containers for such keyfob keys that completely block the signal. Also, some keys can be turned off.
Signal suppression
For this, a special device is used that suppresses the waves emitted by the key fob when the owner tries to block the engine and close the doors of the car. The gadget can be located in the hijacker's pocket, or hide in the bushes near the parking place or the road.
When the owner presses the lock button on the key fob, nothing happens due to interference, the doors do not lock, and intruders easily get inside.
How to avoid this: always when you get out of the car, check whether the indicator flashes, whether the sound of the lock being locked sounds. If not, something is wrong.
Prescribing a new signal through the diagnostic connector
Every car manufactured in the previous decade has a diagnostic connector; it is usually located in the area of the steering column, usually just below.
Computer crackers have developed a device that connects to this port, downloads software that registers a new signal and emulates a key fob nearby. Time for this is just nothing - 14 seconds. And the cost of such a device on the Internet is $ 15.
How to counter this: good old-style steering column lock and additional locking of the diagnostic connector will help.
Finding an owner near a car
If the owner is in no hurry to move away from the car, then thieves can try to quietly check the door handles - whether they open. And then it’s a matter of technology - either hack the car through the diagnostic connector, or pat the owner’s nerves, taking out everything valuable from it.
By the way, even if the motorist manages to avoid the attention of intruders, the chances are high that he will receive a discharged battery upon return. Finding a key nearby keeps electronic systems in standby (and power consumption) mode.
How to counter this: use a special device that monitors the actions performed by the machine and in case of something non-standard informs the owner about it. And if the car was stolen, it will be easier to find.
Code interception
Theoretically, when the owner locks the doors, the signal coming from the key fob can be read by a special device. It decrypts and emulates this signal, allowing the hijacker to get into the car, get it in and run into the shining distances.
However, now this method is practically not used due to the high complexity of encryption of the signal emitted by the key fob.
Hacking a computer application
The more owners use a smartphone application to unlock a car, the more popular this method becomes. A virus is launched in the smartphone of the owner, which presents the password from the application to thieves on a silver platter. And putting the same on your smartphone, logging in and opening the car’s doors is a simple matter.
How to counter this: comply with computer security rules and regularly install updates on car software.
Let's end on an optimistic note: for the whole of 2018, there were 21,112 cases of car theft - one fifth less than in 2017. Does this mean that finally the security systems of automobiles become so reliable that even the most advanced car makers are unable to resist them? Or is it just a sluggish crisis that affects the purchasing power of the population, cars become smaller, and it’s more difficult to sell them? This is left to the reader to decide.
