Watch your ride extra close…
Rapper Akon had his Range Rover stolen while refueling it in Atlanta on the night of May 24. While that might sound hilarious to some, there’s been a trend of thieves snatching vehicles from gas pumps with the owner standing right there. If you haven’t already guessed it, we have the convenience of modern-day technologies to thank for this crime trend, which should act as a warning for everyone else.
Ludacris had his car stolen in a similar way. Learn more here.
"It only takes a second for someone to jump in your vehicle and take off," said Capt. Graham of the Atlanta Police Department.
If you own a newer vehicle with keyless ignition, you could fall into the same trap as Akon and countless others. That’s because as you’re standing outside the car fueling up, many systems still allow for someone to start up the engine and put the transmission in gear, even though the key technically isn’t inside.
Car thieves have done this at gas stations, but they also like playing this trick on food delivery drivers. It’s a good reason to invest in a small Faraday cage to put your keys inside while you’re outside the vehicle. Yes, that’s a pain, but having your ride stolen is a far bigger inconvenience.
Akon was lucky because he got his Range Rover back. Police used the Find My iPhone app to track down his luxury SUV, which was in Forrest Park, Georgia. Many times, thieves will take a stolen vehicle to a location, then leave it parked for a time in case it has an active GPS tracker.
A member of the Atlanta City Council believes the answer to crimes like this is to require gas stations to mount cameras on each fuel pump. That’s an interesting idea, but thieves can just wear a mask, something which has become normal, even socially acceptable these days.
Ultimately, the best measure for guarding against car theft is being aware and taking measures to make your ride more difficult to steal. Whatever those are, you have to decide for yourself.
Source: Fox 5 Atlanta
