)
Cases of car theft have been on the rise in the country with devastated owners sharing tales of how their investments disappeared off the face of earth, never to be recovered as thieves up their game and turn to technology.
Picture this: You leave your car parked at a parking lot and walk away to run an errand or rest at home after a long day at work only to find it missing. You reach out to the tracking company but they are unable to locate your vehicle.
This is the reality that some car owners have faced, with such cases on the rise as thieves turn to technology.
In collusion with corrupt officials, the thieves change the registration details of the stolen vehicle or forge the paperwork and sell it off to unsuspecting buyers. Some are also dismantled and sold off as spare parts.
)
)
)
Signal jammers & how they work
In the dark world of crime, signal jammers have emerged as a powerful device that thieves exploit to steal cars.
An AI-generated image of a signal jammer for illustration purposes
Despite the ownership and use of signal jammers being illegal in Kenya unless authorized by the government or competent authorities for specific purposes, the devices are in the wrong hands, and criminals are using them to commit crimes.
READ: 4 security threats signal jammers neutralise during presidential visits
Signal jammers work by transmitting stronger signals on the same frequencies used by mobile phones, Wi-Fi, GPS, or other wireless systems.
By overwhelming legitimate signals, the jammer prevents devices in the area from receiving or sending information, disrupting communication and leaving phones unable to connect, grounding navigation systems and rendering trackers useless.
Vehicle tracking systems, commonly built on GPS and GSM networks are popular among car owners, tracking and security firms which rely on them for real-time monitoring.
Vehicle disappearing into thin air & undetected movement
Thieves equipped with jammers can outsmart the tracking system by blocking the signals, rendering the tracker useless and unable to communicate with satellites or networks.
In a matter of minutes, the vehicle disappears from the radar as if it has been wiped off the face of the earth, allowing criminals to move it undetected.
Criminals are also known to tamper physically with the trackers mounted on vehicles as soon as they identify them or turn to another device: GPS spoofers.
READ: Ready to fly? How to get a drone pilot licence in Kenya and start earning legally
GPS spoofers are capable of feeding false coordinates to the tracking system which thwart any attempt to trace and recover the vehicle.
How to outsmart the criminals
Luckily, technology has advanced experts nte that there are several ways that car owners and motorists can outsmart criminals reigning havoc.
Using trackers with anti-jamming sensors is one of the ways to beat the criminals at their own game. These devices are capable of detecting any attempt to interfere with the legitimate signal and send out an alert to vehicle owners or tracking centers. Some also have the capacity to allow for the remote immobilisation of the vehicle.
Systems that support inertial navigation features and data buffering may also be helpful in securing your vehicle. Inertial navigation systems rely on motion sensors to record a vehicle’s movement even after criminals render GPS unavailable using jammers and updates the journey as soon as the jammer is switched off. Data buffering works in a similar way and logs in the journey internally in the event of signal loss, transmitting as soon as connection resumes once the jammer has been switched off.
Installing multiple trackers that are carefully hidden such as battery-powered backup that offers another layer of security should the criminals succeed in disabling one.
Another option is using advanced trackers that support dual SIM cards, alternative radio channels or satellite links. This eliminates dependency on single GSM connection and increases chances of the vehicle being tracked and recovered in the event of theft involving the use of signal jammers.
While technology has taken some of the roles in securing your vehicle, personal and communal vigilance remains a helpful way to beating the criminals.
This extends across to social media with access to groups, pages and platforms through which you can quickly disseminate information in the event of a car theft proving helpful.
With more eyeballs on the lookout for the stolen vehicle, the chances of recovery increases, complementing technology.