Good evening, I had my 2017 Skoda Superb Estate 2.0 Elegance VRN GX17ASV (Metalic grey with a triple roof rack) stolen from Colchester on Sun 27 May 18.  Is there any way that if someone sells it with a false plate can DVLA pick up the VIN on registration, etc etc.  Thanks in advance.  

 

Regards 

They can do if they try and are lucky, the systems are there.  Oddly they can sit on Ebay long enough while toerags take deposits.

People can ring cars rather well giving your car the identity of a car bought from salvage or just crashed and never declared to an insurer.

Or your car can be exported or broken for parts and exported, far away or just to Continental Europe, even the Czech Republic.

 

All the best with it.

Surely Skoda can track it with its GPS and Skoda connect/emergency system? Perhaps contact them and ask and liaise with police.

I did ask and they said even though we were registered to Skoda connect it has to be connected to Internet in the car.  I thought it could be tracked. 

That's not true , if yours is a MY18 with a Skoda connect account you can track the location on your app using the inbuilt SIM on the car.

Open the app go to my vehicle and select parking position, should work as long as the car has a signal , it does not need to be connected to a phone for the internet to get its position.

Edited 29 May, 20188 yr by MarkUk63

Thanks, that's what I thought as it has a panic button on it.  

I take it you have no idea how they managed to steal it??

11 hours ago, Speedman said:

I take it you have no idea how they managed to steal it??

 

KESSY?

That was my guess. I have KESSY. Be interested to see if that was the case - if indeed the method is known.

Keyless systems are currently ‘at risk’ from theft using kit that sends signals between the key and the car.  Thieves hold what looks like a square plate antenna and wave it around close to house doors and windows whilst a second thief holds an identical device beside the car.  The two devices are linked by radio and rebroadcast the key and car codes so the car thinks the key is present.  Once the car unlocks then they are in, they can immediately start it because the car is still getting a valid key signal and they are gone!  The hardware is very easily bought on line.  The engine keeps going even when the key signal vanishes.  They can’t restart the engine though.  However I assume that once in the car and at their hideout then they simply add another key to the car ‘approved list’ and that’s that.

 

For anyone with a keyless system the advice is to do all of the following:

- Keep your keys as far away from accessible parts of your home.  Keep the key upstairs on the opposite side of the house/dwelling/flat etc.

- Keep your keys inside RFID proof wallets when not in use (about £10 each from Amazon and Halfords etc - other suppliers exist).

- Get hold of a steering wheel anti theft bar like a Stoplock (remember them?)

- If possible (and it is getting harder) don’t buy a car equipped with keyless systems if you are in an at risk area.

- Consider buying a two factor authentication system which needs a second ‘device’ to be present before the car will start, or will activate a tracker the moment the car moves without the additional ‘device’ being present.

 

There are so many issues with these systems where the manufacturers of these security systems have failed to properly account for how they secure the radio link and prevent this type of hijacking/theft.  Škoda are far from alone in this.  BMW, Merc, Audi, Ford and other brands are now all finding how easily cars can be stolen.  The thieves kit is very very easy to source and use.  Cost about £300!

 

Cyber theft is simply too easy to do as security measures are just not up to it.  Wireless systems are vulnerable to attack because they broadcast a signal which is easy to find, and the bands are all very well known.

 

 

Edited 31 May, 20188 yr by FelisBengalensis

Sorry, but I have to laugh.

 

Kessy system now to include

 

Quite frankly I'm surprised anyone wants to steal a Skoda when the same kit would bag them much posher cars.

So, Monoab, was the vehicle registered with Skoda connect, if so have you tried tracking it with the app? 

 

11 hours ago, FelisBengalensis said:

For anyone with a keyless system the advice is to do all of the following:

- Keep your keys as far away from accessible parts of your home.  Keep the key upstairs on the opposite side of the house/dwelling/flat etc.

- Keep your keys inside RFID proof wallets when not in use (about £10 each from Amazon and Halfords etc - other suppliers exist).

- Get hold of a steering wheel anti theft bar like a Stoplock (remember them?)

- If possible (and it is getting harder) don’t buy a car equipped with keyless systems if you are in an at risk area.

- Consider buying a two factor authentication system which needs a second ‘device’ to be present before the car will start, or will activate a tracker the moment the car moves without the additional ‘device’ being present.

+

- deactivate KESSY when leave car:

close car from remote key and then touch door handle for 5 seconds,

KESSY door handles are deactivated then and car can be opened only from keys.

to add this feature for my 2016 week 8 were made paid(33€) firmware upgrade at dealer,
but 2017 cars have that from the factory

Interesting, I never knew that. However, I took out gap insurance (not from Skoda) so if someone takes mine at some point, be happy with a new replacement!

On 31/05/2018 at 19:43, FelisBengalensis said:

- Keep your keys inside RFID proof wallets when not in use (about £10 each from Amazon and Halfords etc - other suppliers exist).

 

This works well and a lot cheaper 

 

 https://www.giftideas.co.uk/pirate-bandages.html

Not exactly pocket friendly though....

17 minutes ago, FelisBengalensis said:

Not exactly pocket friendly though....

 

Well, no, it was more for when in the house...

 

Does anyone use shielding wallets when out and about? I suppose it depends on how likely you think car thieves can identify both your car and where you are. When parked at home, it’s a pretty sure bet the key is in the house.

12 hours ago, Ivan8192 said:

Does anyone use shielding wallets when out and about? I suppose it depends on how likely you think car thieves can identify both your car and where you are. When parked at home, it’s a pretty sure bet the key is in the house.

I recently bought a wallet and use it at home all the time, though the risk of theft in our area is very low.

 

When I was away recently, I took it with us to use in most hotels and at SWMBO's parents' flat in Klaipeda, Lithuania, where the car was within range of the keys.  Sometimes in hotels if the car was out of range, I didn't bother ie in Bialystok, Poland, we were on the 11th floor and the car was parked under the hotel, so the risk of the signal being in range was zero.

 

If I'm parking to visit somewhere and I'll be out of signal range very quickly, then the wallet isn't required.  I can't imagine anyone would would be brazen enough to try and intercept the signal before I was out of range!

1 hour ago, Penpusher said:

If I'm parking to visit somewhere and I'll be out of signal range very quickly, then the wallet isn't required.  I can't imagine anyone would would be brazen enough to try and intercept the signal before I was out of range!

 

Think about what happens with ATM fraudsters, contactless fraud etc. Anything that's possible will be exploited.

 

I notice that the KESSY that's now standard on SEL trim, is a lower functionality version. You still need to open the doors like a standard remote. Just push button start doesn't need an inserted key.

 

That seems a much more sensible approach.

7 hours ago, xman said:

 

Think about what happens with ATM fraudsters, contactless fraud etc. Anything that's possible will be exploited.

 

I notice that the KESSY that's now standard on SEL trim, is a lower functionality version. You still need to open the doors like a standard remote. Just push button start doesn't need an inserted key.

 

That seems a much more sensible approach.

That sounds good. My wife's car has keyless and I'm not a huge fan personally. I've ordered an SEL exec and if it wasn't standard, I wouldn't spec it. I love an old fashioned key!

 

 

Ps. Sorry to hear about the theft Monoab

Edited 2 June, 20188 yr by boydeee
Missed text

7 hours ago, xman said:

I notice that the KESSY that's now standard on SEL trim, is a lower functionality version. You still need to open the doors like a standard remote. Just push button start doesn't need an inserted key.

 

Doesn't the E stand for Entry? Have they changed it to an I for Ignition? 

My Style was built last week ( Style = SELJ, and it’s KESSY doesn’t have any ‘limited functionality’. Still opens, closes and starts with the key in my pocket. 

My bad, I confused it with the latest fabia specs. The superb SEL does have full KESSY.

21 hours ago, xman said:

 

Think about what happens with ATM fraudsters, contactless fraud etc. Anything that's possible will be exploited.

 

I don't disagree with you, but if you park in a car park to go shopping, for instance, your key will be out of range in a couple of minutes and you'd see anyone trying to steal your car if you turn around.  Regardless of the type of locking system you use, they could simply take the keys from you after you got out of the car and take it anyway.  As an OAP, a couple of young men wouldn't have much of a problem taking my key, even without a weapon.

 

The big advantage that thieves have from stealing a car by intercepting the signal from the key is that they can often have a head start of 8-10 hours when they steal a car at night before anyone notices their car has disappeared, by which time they're long gone, so they're less likely to do it in public in the middle of the day.

What tends to happen in car parks is that the thieves use a signal jammer to prevent cars from locking, and then make off.  It is always worth checking the car has actually locked.  I keep my key in the RFID wallet when out and about mainly to stop an inadvertent button press opening the boot when I have just walked away from the car!  It happened a few times and I never managed to find a good enough key cover.

 

The whole business just seems to be a constantly escalating war between manufacturers and thieves in a market where Owners (of all cars) want more convenience, or something on their car that until a couple of years back was a ‘luxury’ facility on a few.

 

So who is up for retinal scans then........