Skip to main content

VIDEO: Thieves use ‘mystery box’ to instantly unlock and rob high-tech cars

High-Tech Car Thieves Evidently, car buyers are not the only ones big on in-car technology.  

Would-be thieves seem to be digging all the high-tech systems as well.

Moving up from the sophistication of busting a car window or jimmying open the door lock, criminals in the Los Angeles and Chicago area have been caught on camera using a mysterious remote device to unlock the doors of vehicles, according to a recent CNN report.

In what seems to function much like the typical keyless fob, the thieves have apparently found a way to hack the cars’ lock/unlock systems at high speed, giving them a much less conspicuous way of making off with the goods inside the cars. None of the cars in the video were stolen, just the spendy tech toys owners thought were secure behind their high-tech security systems.

What’s more, the high-tech break-ins reportedly even have automakers stumped, which makes you wonder if a lot of the car technology that’s supposed to make us safer has actually made us much more vulnerable than we realize. Can anything not be hacked?

Watch the CNN video report here.

Editors' Recommendations

Marcus Amick
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Marcus Amick has been writing about the world of cars for more than ten years and has covered everything from new automobiles…
Alpine sale: Up to $160 off speakers and subs for your car
alpine speaker sale crutchfield march 2024 car and amp setup on table

If you’re looking to kit your car out with some superior speakers or a subwoofer, Crutchfield is the place to go today. Right now, there’s a huge sale on Alpine subwoofers and speakers with nearly 50 different items forming the sale. As there are so many options, the best idea is to hit the button below to see what’s around. If you don’t know where to start though, read on while we take you through some great items in the sale.

What to shop for in the Alpine sale
Buying the best aftermarket car speakers are important for anyone who spends a lot of time on the road and is currently dealing with a mediocre sound system. One good starting point in the Alpine sale is the 2-way speakers for $104 instead of $130. You get two 2-way speakers with a polypropylene/glass fiber/mica woofer with a specialized rubber surround. There’s a one-inch silk dome tweeter with speakers able to handle up to 80 watts RMS with 240 watts peak power. The grilles aren’t included but the factor ones should be fine for most purposes.

Read more
Mercedes to trial humanoid robots for ‘low-skill, repetitive, demanding’ jobs
Apptronik's Apollo robot at work in an auto plant.

Humanoid robots have been coming on leaps and bounds in recent years, and some major companies are starting to take note.

Mercedes-Benz, for example, has just entered into an agreement with Texas-based robotics specialist Apptronik to collaborate on identifying applications for highly advanced robots that the auto giant could deploy. The deal will involve a trial that will see Apptronik's Apollo humanoid robot work alongside Mercedes' human workers on the factory floor.

Read more
Hyundai Ioniq 9: price, release date, range, and more
Hyundai Ioniq 9 Front

Hyundai has been at the forefront of EV development for a while now, largely thanks to the success of the crossover-sized Hyundai Ioniq 5. But the company is readying another new EV that could be even more popular than the Ioniq 5 -- or at least more desirable in the U.S., the land of big cars.

The upcoming Ioniq 9, previously set to be called the Ioniq 7, will be Hyundai's take on an electric SUV. It will be to Hyundai what the Kia EV9 is to Kia. It will have three rows and carry over design elements from the Ioniq 5.

Read more