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Car thieves regularly surprise law enforcement agencies with their ingenuity. New vehicles have increasingly efficient security features, but as it turns out – a device deceptively resembling a Game Boy can be used to break them.
We have all heard about car thefts using the so-called suitcase method. This is a very effective method but is not always feasible. The whole is based on two suitcase-like devices. One person has got a transmitter and needs to place it within range of a real car key, such as under an apartment door. The second is the receiver, who should be next to the car. The receiver gets the data from the key, thus fooling the car into thinking the key is right next to it so the thief can open the car, start the engine and drive away.
Recently, a new method has been created and a theft involves a “Game Boy”. Polsat News reporters in the program Report showed their investigation, in which they reached a Bulgarian company that manufactures new theft equipment.
Games console of unusual use
Bulgaria’s new car theft device is much simpler to use, making it a huge concern. The whole thing is based on single-pocket hardware that looks like a modified “Game Boy” games console. The device needs to be programmed in a specific way, by uploading something like a car profile of a given brand. This can be done at an authorized service, during repair, or at a diagnostic station, so the thief must work with someone at such places.
Investigators say it’s a dream and the perfect tool for a car thief. It is also expensive, as you have to spend 20,000 euros on it. The people involved in the production and sale of the “Game Boy” are considered dangerous, as they are usually members of an occult criminal group. According to information obtained by reporters, they have already sold more than 50 such devices. Only in Poland, more than 1,000 cars of Japanese brands were stolen last year using the so-called Game Boy.
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