Brazen thieves use keyless hack to steal £51,000 Mercedes in just 20 seconds

20 December 2023 , 09:37

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The three thieves were clad in puffer jackets, leather gloves and balaclavas (Image: @ub1ub2/Instagram)

This is the shocking moment brazen thieves stole a £51,000 Mercedes in less than one minute - using a keyless hack.

The three crooks are seen on Ring doorbell footage arriving at a property in Harrow, northwest London, in the early hours of the morning. One thief holds up his hand to the ring doorbell camera in an apparent attempt to conceal his identity. His two accomplices then approach the black Mercedes, who appear to use a metal antenna to hack the car's keyless entry signal.

In the still images, one of the men then opens the driver's side door before returning to the doorbell camera. They eventually make off with the car, one of two Mercedes on the driveway.

Many modern cars have key fobs that allow you to open the car remotely, and start the engine without turning a key in the ignition. Keyless car theft involves criminals - sometimes working in teams - using a gadgets that pretend to be a car’s key, in order to gain access and even start the car.

The Mirror has approached the Metropolitan Police in connection to this incident, which happened at around 3.30am on Sunday December 10. Keyless car theft, like this one, is on the rise with police forces all over the country reporting instances of this type of crime.

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The brazen theft happened at an address in Harrow, northwest London (@ub1ub2/Instagram)

Car manufacturers are working to redesign the security systems in their cars in order to address the changing trends in car crime. There are things that motorists can try in order to protect their cars against criminals though.

The first and most obvious is what experts call “multi-layered security". This includes old-fashioned physical protection like steering wheel locks and wheel clamps.

Someone who gains access to a car will not be able to drive it away if the steering wheel is locked - even if they manage to start the engine. Drivers can prevent a relay attack from happening in the first place by being careful with their car key.

Bradley Jolly