Thief in monkey mask trips over after attempt to steal BMW by holding bag up to door
- 6 years ago
Video has emerged from Essex of a thief in a monkey mask attempting to steal a high-performance BMW by holding up a satchel to a front door, before he trips over in the driveway.
In the video, the would-be thief can be seen holding a satchel thought to have a transmitting device inside it that boosts the signal from the BMW keyless fob, which the thief believed would be behind the door.
He holds the satchel up to the door while moving around trying to get a signal and looking back towards the car to see if he's been successful.
But the thief was confronted by the car owner’s 24-year-old son, which took place at 2.20am on November 23 in Benfleet, Essex in the southeast of England. In video filmed on a separate camera, the startled thief can be seen running away and falling over.
According to the home owner, the keyless fob to the BMW M6 - which retail for more than £90,000 - was actually upstairs, so the thief’s attempts were never likely to work.
This recent trend of “relay crime” is the latest type of vehicle theft that is causing concern for car owners and police.
The BMW uses a keyless ignition system, which means they can be unlocked if the vehicle detects a fob nearby.
The car’s owner believes the video shows the thief using a device inside the satchel to extend the signal, which makes the fob appear closer than it actually is - in order to fool the car’s keyless start system.
He writes: "My wife and three friends had been to watch a show in the West End and arrived home around midnight. They picked up our eldest son, Jack, who works in London and came back to our house.
"They continued to chat and drink when at 2.20am our motion detector alerted that someone was on our drive, Jack then opened the door and confronted the man in the monkey mask shouting “What the f… are you doing?” He turned to run with his accomplice but fell flat on his face.”
The two were able to make their getaway on foot through nearby woods.
In the video, the would-be thief can be seen holding a satchel thought to have a transmitting device inside it that boosts the signal from the BMW keyless fob, which the thief believed would be behind the door.
He holds the satchel up to the door while moving around trying to get a signal and looking back towards the car to see if he's been successful.
But the thief was confronted by the car owner’s 24-year-old son, which took place at 2.20am on November 23 in Benfleet, Essex in the southeast of England. In video filmed on a separate camera, the startled thief can be seen running away and falling over.
According to the home owner, the keyless fob to the BMW M6 - which retail for more than £90,000 - was actually upstairs, so the thief’s attempts were never likely to work.
This recent trend of “relay crime” is the latest type of vehicle theft that is causing concern for car owners and police.
The BMW uses a keyless ignition system, which means they can be unlocked if the vehicle detects a fob nearby.
The car’s owner believes the video shows the thief using a device inside the satchel to extend the signal, which makes the fob appear closer than it actually is - in order to fool the car’s keyless start system.
He writes: "My wife and three friends had been to watch a show in the West End and arrived home around midnight. They picked up our eldest son, Jack, who works in London and came back to our house.
"They continued to chat and drink when at 2.20am our motion detector alerted that someone was on our drive, Jack then opened the door and confronted the man in the monkey mask shouting “What the f… are you doing?” He turned to run with his accomplice but fell flat on his face.”
The two were able to make their getaway on foot through nearby woods.