This happens almost anywhere but be careful in shopping mall parking, parking at the gym, hospital parking areas etc.
Example: Planet Fitness Plattekloof public parking area (map)
Please ensure that you manually check your car and that the doors are actually locked before walking away.
Background
Remote jamming is not a new phenomenon but is a simple and quick way to steal goods from cars and is extremely difficult to detect. When a person leaves his vehicle and pushes the remote to activate the locking system, a criminal pushes a remote (the type used to open a gate) at the same time, blocking the signal of the locking remote. The vehicle owner, believing that the vehicle is locked, would go about doing business while the criminal has free access to help himself to the contents of the vehicle.
Sadly, if you claim for items stolen from a vehicle where there is no forced access, the claim will possibly be rejected. The OSTI (Ombudsman for Short Term Insurance) made a ruling specifically related to the use of remote control devices blocking a vehicle locking signal – they found that there is no scope in terms of the policy to force an Insurer to entertain a claim under these circumstances as it is ultimately the insured’s responsibility to ensure that the vehicle is securely locked.
Source: https://plattekloofvillage.azurewebsites.net/news/plattekloof-village-fights-back/
What can YOU do?
Here is how you can avoid becoming a victim of this crime:
- Never push the remote locking whilst walking away from the vehicle – check that the vehicle is locked by testing the door before walking away
- Do not leave valuables in an unattended vehicle
- Ensure that the boot is locked
- Report suspicious persons or activity to centre management or security
Jamming Detectors
A device has been designed by clever South Africans – the Jamming Detector. This is a portable unit with a range of 100 meters and omnidirectional pickup that will beep and vibrate upon detecting a jamming signal.
Jamming Detectors:
https://www.remotejamming.co.za/page.html
https://kesa.co.za/product/mallguard/
https://kesa.co.za/remote-jamming/