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Possible SATNAV security problem!

H

HarryD

Overdrive!
Forgot about this till today.
I was told a while ago about some chap that went for a leak at a service area and left his keys in the car (rare, but possible). Anyway, apparently, his SATNAV had an entry for "Home".
The car was nicked and the theif used the satnav and keys to locate and then gain entry to the the owner's home.
Unconfirmed, but even if untrue, it may be wise NOT to show your home location on a satnav.
 
Must confess i have Sunbury Cross [junc1 M3/A308] loaded as "home" for this very reason ! :p
About a mile and half away from my real home, but the main way in from most places.
 
We had one our Sat Nav pinched about 12 months ago! Our unit allows you to make phone calls from it bluetoothing to your mobile. The night we got it pinched the thiefs kindly but unintentionally gave us a call. Gave them a round of foooks and passed their details onto Notts Police but alas foooook all was ever done!

Be careful what you store on them Sat Navs and where you leave em!
 
HarryD said:
Forgot about this till today.
I was told a while ago about some chap that went for a leak at a service area and left his keys in the car (rare, but possible). Anyway, apparently, his SATNAV had an entry for "Home".
The car was nicked and the theif used the satnav and keys to locate and then gain entry to the the owner's home.
Unconfirmed, but even if untrue, it may be wise NOT to show your home location on a satnav.
Click to expand...

It's possible but it sounds more like an Urban Myth in the making. You've have to be very brave or very stupid to drive straight to someones house in their stolen car not knowing who might be in the house when you got there.

It is quiet commonto be followed home and then have your car stolen off the drive but that's an entirely different scenario from the above.
 
Just googled the web for "thieves use stolen sat nav to rob owners house". Not 1 article unusual for what would have been a very news worthy story.
 
This particular story is an urban myth, but it still tells a story that is worth paying attention to. You should avoid having your full home address on your Tom Tom. This is advice that TomTom themselves offer. I know how to get to my house from the town centre, so I just have Dorking town centre as my home.

I don't keep anything in my vehicle that identifies me or gives my address. I'm not sure why, but it just feels safer.

There is another bit of TomTom advice – don't leave the devise cradle on the windscreen. When most people park they take their stereo, iPod and other valuables and stuff them under a chair or in the glove box. Thieves are smart enough to know this, so they break into cars in the speculative hope of finding goodies. Leaving your cradle on your windscreen tells a thief that you own a Tom Tom. Regardless of whether you've taken it away or not it'll encourage them to smash a window to find out.

I know two people that this has happened to.
 
Don't know if you have seen a program on the telly called "The Real Hustle" but the did a scam like this.

Guy put on a hi vis and hangs around a car park with his clip board. Audi pulls up and after a conversation the guy in hi vis convinces the owner he is valet parking...

Anyhow long story short, he gets his car goes round the corenr, finds his sat nav, scrolls to home and explains thaty the owner is not aware his car is stolen and has gone shopping for a few hours!

Certainly opened my eyes up a bit heh!
 
Why an urban myth? I would say it has happened.

One that is true. Middle aged couple get togged up to go to a concert. Might hve one sherry too many so order taxi. Taxi drops them off and departs. Doh! forgot tickets. Gets another taxi home and catches taxi driver no. 1 burgling the house.

Makes you want a big dog, that story.
 
Never ever leave your keys in the vehicle if you intend to leave it even for a few seconds. There are theives that hang around filling stations and supermarket carparks just waiting to hop into your motor and steal it. That is not an urban myth.
 
theoldtrout said:
Never ever leave your keys in the vehicle if you intend to leave it even for a few seconds. There are theives that hang around filling stations and supermarket carparks just waiting to hop into your motor and steal it. That is not an urban myth.
Click to expand...

It always struck me as a bad idea when some car makers went away from lockable petrol caps in favour of flaps that worked on the car central locking.

At least with a car with a locking petrol cap youhave to take your keys with you when you fill up.
 
Mark the police HQ as your home address then "IF" it ever happens you can phone the police and tell them to expect visitors.
 
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