Have keyless car thieves found a NEW way to steal your car?

There are growing fears that crooks have found a new way to steal cars after a family’s Volvo was pinched off despite the keys being in a theft-resistant pouch 20 feet away in their home.

Father-of-three Wayne Thompson, 47, of Enfield, London, kept the keys to the family’s £46,000 Volvo XC90 in a Faraday pouch 20 feet from the front door.

Still, the health and safety adviser was shocked to see two crooks steal his car in the middle of the night using a relay signal trick on CCTV footage earlier this month.

Similarly, Harry Goaman, 25, from Clapham South, came home last month to find his £21,000 second-hand Mercedes C-Class Coupé had been taken by thieves using the relay trick, even though the car keys were in a cupboard drawer 10 feet inside his home.

Mr Goaman also captured the crime on camera. Three black-clad criminals with balaclavas over their faces casually sauntered around as they stole his luxury car in less than 30 seconds. In both cases, the Met said there were “no more realistic lines of inquiry.”

Both Mr. Thompson and Mr. Goaman were amazed at the ease with which the thieves were able to steal their cars, even though they had taken precautions to avoid doing so.

Father-of-three Wayne Thompson, 47, of Enfield, London, kept the keys to the family’s £46,000 Volvo XC90 (right) in a Faraday pouch 20 feet from the front door

Mr Thompson told MailOnline: ‘We are shocked that it happened. The keys were in the kitchen in the Faraday bag.”

Mr Thompson told MailOnline: “We are shocked that it happened. The keys were in the kitchen in the Faraday bag.

What are the car manufacturers doing to prevent it? They do nothing to help us.

‘We have to think of a wheel lock or a pole in front of the car.’

He said the devious thieves even fooled the GPS tracker, which says the car is still on its way.

He said the theft left his three children, one of whom is autistic, “in a panic.”

His wife, Victoria, 44, said: ‘It has had more of an impact on our daughter because she thinks someone is coming into the house. Everyone pays for it in one way or another.

“You blame yourself, but we thought a Faraday pouch at the back of the house would be fine. I am sorry to buy another car because I am afraid it will be stolen again.”

Harry Goaman, 25, from Clapham South, came home last month to find his £21,000 second-hand Mercedes C-Class Coupé had been taken by thieves using the relay trick, even though the car keys were in a cupboard drawer 10 feet inside his house

Although the thieves were not close to the door, they were able to use a super strong signal to break into the car

Relay theft is a way thieves break into cars in seconds, without using brute force or needing a key, all by using electronic key fobs. Partly due to this form of theft, the number of car thefts rose by a quarter last year

Relay theft is a way thieves break into cars in seconds, without using brute force or needing a key, all by using electronic key fobs. Partly due to this form of theft, the number of car thefts rose by a quarter last year.

Relay theft has criminals simply standing outside a home with a car parked outside and then using a device called a keyless repeater that works by extending the limited range of a normal keyless fob.

That tricks the car into thinking the fob is closer than it is, allowing criminals to remotely unlock it and steal the car and any valuables left in it.

Mr Goaman told MailOnline that his car was stolen around 5am, but because he cycled to work, he didn’t notice the car was gone until that afternoon.

He said: ‘I was shocked at how pathetically easy it is to steal these cars.

They didn’t even come to the door.

‘[The police didn’t ask for the footage and after a phone call they closed the case within five minutes on the basis they didn’t have anything to go on.

‘They obviously don’t investigate. It seems remarkable that serious crime gangs can steal cars routinely with very little attempt to track them down. 

‘It was just remarkable how brazen and calm they were. They were not in a rush at all. 

Relay theft sees criminals simply stand outside a house with a car parked outside, then use a device called a keyless repeater, which works by extending the limited range of a normal keyless fob

That tricks the car into thinking the fob is closer than it is, letting criminals unlock it remotely and steal the car and any valuables left inside it

The cost to insurers of car thefts has quadrupled from £360million in 2006 to a whopping £1.54billion in just 16 years

‘They had little to no fear of being caught in the act, like they have done a hundred a day.’

The cost to insurers of car thefts has quadrupled from £360million in 2006 to a whopping £1.54billion in just 16 years.

Former police detective Philip Swift is the boss of the UK’s oldest specialist motor insurance loss adjuster, Claims, Management and Adjusting.

He told MailOnline that when he worked with some police forces on car theft claims it was ‘as though you are hitting your head against a brick wall’.

He said: ‘Until everyone starts working together it’s going to continue going on.

‘I don’t think it’s going to be easy to overcome until the manufacturers fix the weakness.

‘It’s frustrating because [the police] could be much better.

“There are things that can be done, but they take a lot of time.”

Mr Swift said the police, manufacturers, tracking companies, insurance companies and even the DVLA could work together to stamp out car thefts.

He added: ‘They all do their own thing, but in isolation.

‘It is a shame. [There is] so much that could be done and that would be a deterrent’.

Mr Swift recommended installing a GPS tracker in a car or investing in a bollard or barrier to prevent a car from driving away.

The Met Police said: ‘We recognize the impact motor vehicle crime can have on victims, especially those who rely on vehicles for their jobs or the routine of daily living.

“Any allegations of crime reported to the police will be reviewed to see if there are viable lines of investigation, including forensic opportunities that can be pursued.”

Former detective Philip Swift (pictured) heads Claims, Management and Adjusting, the UK’s oldest specialist motor insurance claims adjuster. He told MailOnline that when he worked with some police departments on auto theft claims, it was “like banging your head against a brick wall.”

A spokeswoman for Mercedes said: “All new Mercedes-Benz car keys (Keyless Go) are equipped with a built-in motion sensor, which means that if the key is in a drawer or on a hook and is stationary, the signals from the key cannot be received. be hijacked.

‘In addition, all Mercedes-Benz Keyless Go signals can be deactivated by pressing the lock button on the key twice, which deactivates the signal: they can be reactivated by pressing any button on the key.

“We offer a range of measures where customers can learn more about Keyless Go and other vehicle features, including online how-to videos, owner’s manuals and vehicle transfer.”

Mike Hawes, head of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, told MailOnline: “Automakers take vehicle security very seriously and are constantly introducing new features to try and stay one step ahead of criminals.

‘However, technology can only do so much.

“However, most car crime is still attributable to the unauthorized use of the owner’s keys, and we continue to call for action to prevent the open sale of devices that have no legal purpose but are used by criminals to steal cars. prevent.’

Volvo did not respond to a request for comment from MailOnline.