Tracker Issues Warning on Cheap Faraday Pouches

Let’s talk Trackers and Faraday pouches, because some of the cheaper ones might not be as good as a KitKat wrapper;

As keyless car theft continues to cause chaos for vehicle owners, the police and insurers, stolen vehicle recovery expert, Tracker Network UK Limited, is urging people to not cut corners when investing in a Faraday pouch as imitations flood the market.

Most modern cars today feature keyless car entry technology but thieves are using readily available and easy-to-use kits to intercept the electronic signals between the car and its fob – including the spare  – when the fob is stored inside, near a door, window or exterior wall and within range of the car. This is known as keyless car theft or a ‘Relay Attack’ and can be completed in less than 60 seconds. Over 94% of stolen vehicles recovered by Tracker in 2023 were stolen this way.

A Faraday pouch is a means of protection against this type of theft as it features internal metal layers that block the electromagnetic fields emitted from the fob stored in the pouch and the car itself. However, tests have found that effectiveness varies significantly between pouches available.

“Unfortunately, it’s not just organised vehicle thieves benefitting from the increase in keyless vehicle thefts,” explains Clive Wain, Head of Police Liaison at Tracker. “Entrepreneurial individuals are also cashing in by selling fake or inadequate pouches, cases and bags to motorists who are trying to guard against falling victim to car theft. While a good quality pouch will provide reliable protection against the Relay Attack devices thieves use to extend the signal between a fob and the car, poor imitations are proving to offer little more than peace of mind.”

Tracker advises drivers to test its efficiency by taking the pouch – with the fob inside – close to the car to see if the car picks up the signal and unlocks as it usually would. Drivers could also check if a mobile signal penetrates the bag, if it is large enough to fit a phone inside the sealed pouch.  Effective alternatives to a Faraday pouch include a metal tin such as a biscuit barrel or a fridge.

Clive Wain however urges users to exercise caution when using metal storage to protect keys, “Drivers should not rely solely on a car fob protection device. If nothing else, it is easy for anyone to forget to place the key fob and spare inside or to leave the pouch or container open. It doesn’t matter if you buy the best Faraday bag available if you don’t use it correctly every time.

“Without additional layers of protection in place, the car remains vulnerable. Utilising multiple security measures will slow criminals down and deter them as it makes them suspicious to passers-by or more identifiable on doorbell or security camera footage. What they cannot get around is a covert Tracker hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle. Criminals won’t know it’s there which means Tracker can lead the police straight to the vehicle and the thieves. 80% of stolen cars recovered by Tracker in 2023 were done so in less than 24 hours and 80 suspected criminals were arrested.”

Tracker is the only SVR provider supported nationwide by U.K. police services that track, locate and recover stolen assets. More than 2,000 police patrol vehicles and all police helicopters are fitted with Tracker detection units. Tracker’s unique combination of VHF with GPS/GSM technology confirms its SVR devices as a superior security defence against determined thieves.