Thieves tuned in to sat navs

9:00am Thursday 11th October 2007

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CRAFTY crooks are using Bluetooth technology to work out which cars have valuable devices inside.

Stealing from vehicles is one of the most common crimes in Swindon, with 1,500 cars broken into in the first nine months of the year.

But, while members of the public are getting the message that valuables should not be left on show, the thieves have found a way around it.

Now police are warning people that due to "blue bugging"', putting the sat nav in the boot is not enough to keep the criminals at bay.

PC Sally Davis, of Swindon police, said: "The Bluetooth technology enables criminals to detect if anything is worth stealing from within a vehicle.

"The radius for Bluetooth is approximately 20 metres.

"Technical improvement means that the public have to be more aware and vigilant about protecting their valuables.

"The best option is to take property with you.

"However, if you are going to leave it, ensure it is hidden away and all Bluetooth turned off.

"Mark all valuables, so this can be easily seen. This will act as a deterrent to thieves as it makes it harder to pass or sell stolen items on."

Thieves are using Bluetooth phones to detect whether motorists have left laptops, mobile phones or state-of-the-art PDAs in their cars.

PC Davis said: "Even if they are out of sight in the boot or glove compartment, the Bluetooth technology enables computer-literate thieves to locate compatible kit easily."

When a car contains a Bluetooth-enabled laptop, a signal on the screen of the thief's mobile displays not just its presence, but also its make or model.

The thieves then have an easy target and the expensive laptops are often stolen to order.

PC Davis said: "Blue-bugging techniques can also be used to hack into mobiles, which are increasingly used as portable data stores, with details such as passwords, PIN numbers and other sensitive information ready for the taking.

"These days, a great deal of confidential company information, bank account details, private emails and so on are accessible through laptops, PDAs and even mobiles.

"People should realise that as well as equipment losses, they are at serious risk of corporate data theft if Bluetooth devices are left enabled and unsecured."

• Today Bluetooth-enabled communication devices are becoming a common feature in all of our lives.

The technology provides a way to connect and exchange information between devices such as mobile phones, laptops, PCs, printers, digital cameras and games consoles over a short-range radio frequency. The devices use a radio communications system, so they do not have to be in line of sight of each other, and can be in other rooms, as long as the received transmission is powerful enough.

Police forces across the country are reporting that criminals armed with their own Bluetooth-enabled devices are using the scan facility to locate other devices that have been left in parked and unattended motor vehicles.

The thieves are then more motivated to target these vehicles by the knowledge there is something of high value within.