Picture this: You wake up to find your car missing from the driveway. No broken glass. No signs of forced entry. Just an empty space where your vehicle should be. This isn’t a scene from a spy movie—it’s a growing reality called “relay theft,” where criminals steal cars without ever touching the keys. But here’s the good news: a simple sheet of aluminum foil could be your best defense.
Modern key fobs constantly emit signals that communicate with your car, even when you’re inside your home. Thieves use cheap, readily available devices to amplify these signals, tricking your vehicle into thinking the key is nearby. Within seconds, they can unlock, start, and drive away with your car.
The solution? Wrap your key fob in aluminum foil when you’re not using it. This creates a makeshift Faraday cage, blocking the signal from being intercepted. For a more polished approach, consider a Faraday pouch—a sleek, portable sleeve that does the same job for under $20.
Older adults are particularly vulnerable, as many keep their keys near doors or windows. One Phoenix couple in their 60s learned this the hard way when their SUV vanished overnight. “It was like they ghosted it away,” the husband recalled.
While car manufacturers are working on more secure key fobs, taking a few precautions now can save you from a costly and unsettling ordeal. A piece of foil, a strategic parking spot, or a steering wheel lock might be all that stands between you and a high-tech thief.
