Thief steals vehicle from Lancaster County business using wireless key cloning
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Updated: 8:23 PM EDT Mar 14, 2025
AND ONE THING THAT MAY PREVENT IT. IT WAS PARKED RIGHT OVER HERE, RIGHT WHERE THAT NISSAN ALTIMA IS PARKED. NOW, THE WHITE JEEP WRANGLER WAS GONE THURSDAY MORNING FROM THE LOT AT DETAILING TECHNOLOGIES AND AUTO SALES NEAR MANHEIM. IT’S A NICE VEHICLE. IT WAS A 19. IT WAS LOW MILES, BUT IT WASN’T ANYTHING SUPER SPECIAL. IT JUST MUST HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE. THE BUSINESS HAS TWO SECURITY CAMERAS TRAINED ON THE LOT. A CHECK OF THE SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE SHOWED THIS SHORTLY BEFORE 11 P.M. THE LIGHTS CLICKED LIKE HE HAD A REMOTE, AND HE GOT IN AND HE DROVE AWAY, SO I PANICKED. I THOUGHT SOMEBODY LEFT A KEY IN THE CAR, BUT THAT WASN’T THE CASE. THE REMOTE WAS SAFELY LOCKED UP IN THE OFFICE. THAT’S THE ONLY KEY THERE IS. DAN HENDRICKSON REPORTED THE THEFT TO THE NORTHERN LANCASTER COUNTY REGIONAL POLICE. HE SAYS HE WAS TOLD IT WAS A HIGH TECH HEIST THAT’S BECOME MORE COMMON, ESPECIALLY WITH CHRYSLERS. THIEVES USE WIRELESS KEY CLONING SCANNERS, AND IF THEY’RE CLOSE TO THE KEY FOB, THEY CAN STEAL THE KEY CODE AND THEN STEAL THE CAR. BACK IN THE EARLY DAYS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WOULD USE, LIKE, SLIM JIMS OR THEY’D SMASH WINDOWS OR THEY’D JUST, YOU KNOW, PROP THE DOOR OPEN AND PUT A STICK IN THERE AND UNLOCK IT. BUT NOW THEY CAN JUST USE A CODE AND TAKE IT. SOME EXPERTS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT RECOMMEND USING SOMETHING CALLED A FARADAY POUCH FOR YOUR KEY FOB. WE FOUND A LOT OF THEM ONLINE. THEY SAY THEY BLOCK ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AND CAN PREVENT WIRELESS HACKING. IT MAY BE ONE WAY TO STAY AHEAD OF TECH SAVVY THIEVES, BUT DAN HENDRICKSON SAYS CARMAKERS WILL HAVE TO COME UP WITH BETTER SECURITY.
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Thief steals vehicle from Lancaster County business using wireless key cloning
The owner of Detailing Technologies and D T Auto Sales in Manheim, Pennsylvania, said his foreman noticed a Jeep Wrangler was gone from the lot when she came to work Thursday morning."It's a nice vehicle, a 19, low miles. It wasn't anything super special; it just must have been available," Dan Hendrickson said. The business has two security cameras trained on the lot, so Hendrickson checked the surveillance footage. It shows a man sneaking up to the vehicle, getting in and driving off.Hendrickson had a funny reaction when he watched the video. "The lights clicked like he had a remote, and he got in and drove away, so I panicked somebody left the key in the car," he said. But the key fob was still locked up safely in the shop. Hendrickson reported the theft to Northern Lancaster County police and was told it is something that has now been going on with Chrysler products. The thieves use wireless key cloning scanners, and if they are close to the key fob, they can steal the key code and steal the vehicle."Back in the early days, people would use 'slim jims,' smash windows, put a stick in and unlock it, now they just use a code and take it," Hendrickson said. Some experts recommend using a Faraday pouch for your fob, which blocks electromagnetic fields and prevents wireless hacking.
MANHEIM, Pa. —
The owner of Detailing Technologies and D T Auto Sales in Manheim, Pennsylvania, said his foreman noticed a Jeep Wrangler was gone from the lot when she came to work Thursday morning.
"It's a nice vehicle, a 19, low miles. It wasn't anything super special; it just must have been available," Dan Hendrickson said.
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The business has two security cameras trained on the lot, so Hendrickson checked the surveillance footage. It shows a man sneaking up to the vehicle, getting in and driving off.
Hendrickson had a funny reaction when he watched the video.
"The lights clicked like he had a remote, and he got in and drove away, so I panicked somebody left the key in the car," he said.
But the key fob was still locked up safely in the shop. Hendrickson reported the theft to Northern Lancaster County police and was told it is something that has now been going on with Chrysler products. The thieves use wireless key cloning scanners, and if they are close to the key fob, they can steal the key code and steal the vehicle.
"Back in the early days, people would use 'slim jims,' smash windows, put a stick in and unlock it, now they just use a code and take it," Hendrickson said.
Some experts recommend using a Faraday pouch for your fob, which blocks electromagnetic fields and prevents wireless hacking.