Remote jamming remains a common crime, and is constantly on the increase.
In South Africa, we are dealing with crime on a completely different level, as compared to other parts of the world. To organised crime gangs remote jamming is one of the tools used to enrich their syndicates, by stealing from the naive and unsuspecting public.
Crimes such as theft out of motor vehicles, theft of motor vehicle, hijacking of vehicles/trucks and cargo, house and business robberies are all committed by using remote jamming.
What is Jamming?
A remote jammer is any device that deliberately blocks, jams or interferes with authorised wireless communications. Jamming can interfere with various types of wireless equipment including the alarm panel, cellular phone communication, detectors, tracking systems and radio reporting to a control room.
The effect of Jamming:
Simply, when being jammed, your car will not engage the locking system and will thus not activate the alarm system. As the systems are not activated the alarm will not be functional during a break-in, and no signals will be sent by the system, nor received by any control room.
Wireless communication, and video systems, can also malfunction when Wi-Fi links are being blocked during criminal activity. These Wi-Fi blockers are increasingly being used during hi-jacking incidents, in order to block the GPS positioning signals and GSM tracking radios. Vehicle tracking and recovery then becomes a nightmare for transport companies carrying high value cargo, such as fuel, cigarettes, consumer electronics, and brand name consumer goods.
The risk to the public is that they might have no right to an insurance claim after a “non-forced entry” theft from motor vehicles.
Looking @ the SAICB…
South African Insurance Crime Bureau
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What you can do about car remote jamming: Awareness
Vigilance is the golden rule!
- The most important rule is to make sure your car is locked before you walk away.
- When using a remote, physically double-check that your car has in fact been successfully locked – manually check or test the doors and the boot.
- Never push the remote locking while walking away from the vehicle, watch and listen, to ensure that the locks engage.
- Never leave items of interest lying in full view on car seats, while driving or when leaving your car parked.
- Most people carry a laptop or tablet in their vehicle, and criminals are well aware of this fact. Always back up your hard drive and make sure you have a password in place, never openly store your banking details.
- Wherever possible always take expensive electronics with you when you leave your vehicle.
- Empty your car at the end of each day to avoid it becoming cluttered with items that you do not want stolen.
- Never leave house keys or important papers (vehicle registration papers) in your car.
- Install an alarm system in your car.
- Install window safety film.
- Park your car in a secure car park where there are lots of other vehicles and ideally, security personnel.
- Always be aware of your surroundings and keep a sharp lookout for suspicious-looking people and activities.
- Report suspicious-looking people to security or move your car to a safer place.
- Ensure that you have adequate insurance cover on the portable possessions you carry with you on a regular basis.
Conclusion:
Major shopping malls, as well as Ultra Cities on our national roads, have installed anti-jamming systems, which prevent thousands of jamming incidents daily.
The South African Police Services have educated their staff in dealing with jamming related crimes; however, it is still our duty to protect our own property.
There are also a number of companies who sell early warning systems, to alert motorists if there are jammers active in the area.
Despite all of the above measures, this phenomenon is still a part of our daily lives, and remains on the increase.
So be aware of your surroundings, and continuously vigilant, as that is your best protection.
For further information, contact the SAICB at hugovz@saicb.co.za
What Car Remote Jammers look like:
