A GANG of criminals stole a £30,000 Toyota using a sneaky car theft method branded “headlight hacking”.
Shocking footage shows two balaclava-wearing thieves unscrewing the left headlight of Kaye Milne’s motor in Dartford, Kent, earlier this month.
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After removing the bulb the crooks accessed the 2021-make C-HR’s computer system by plugging in a dark web device disguised as a Bluetooth speaker.
The tiny computer replicates the car’s key fob and sends validation signals to a sensor responsible for unlocking the car.
It allows the duo to start up the motor and drive off in just 127 seconds – although similar “hack and dash” attacks have taken less than 30 seconds.
It has stoked fears of thousands of copycat attacks around the UK using the security flaw.
Full-time carer Kaye, 46, who bought the car to transport mum Margaret, 83, said of the January 2 theft: “When I saw the footage for the first time I was shocked that it could just be taken so quickly.
“It’s made me unsettled and I feel unsafe in my own home. I’m just in total disbelief.
“I wish I’d known that this could happen before I bought the car. Even if I get another car there’s nothing to stop me being a target again.
“We were using the car for everything because it was the only way I could get around and go shopping for Mum.
“It’s just so horrible to think that I’ve been made a target in this way.”
Kaye, who bought the car in 2021 as new, added: “It’s a keyless car and that’s usually how they can get into it, but this was started by going up the front wheel arch and using a computer to start it up.
“It looks so organised to me – they must have checked it out beforehand.
“There’s an intention and confidence in their walk, so I think it was premeditated.
“It’s meant to be Dartford but it feels like the Wild West when people are running around with balaclavas on at half midnight.”
Cops are yet to find the two men and warned Kaye the motor could have been taken out of the country within hours.
Other Toyota cars have previously been targeted using the CANbus injection method.
Headlights are targeted as they are the easiest way to reach the car’s computer wiring and insert the device.
Devices are sold online – on websites The Sun is not naming – for as little as £1,500,
Sellers claim they can be repeatedly used on high-end cars including any Toyota or Lexus.
A car was stolen every four minutes last year – with three in four motor thieves never identified by police.
Automotive security expert Dr Ken Tindell, who revealed thieves were using the hack last year, said: “The device basically lies to say the driver’s there and has pressed the unlock button, when there’s no key and no driver.
“The rest of the car doesn’t know it has been forged.
“Thieves run around different areas and take multiple cars at a time.
“When these cars were designed a long time ago, the world was a different place.
“A lot of manufacturers didn’t think these attacks were realistic. There was a sense that criminals didn’t know how to do these things.”
Dr Tindell added: “There are metal plates that can be screwed down over the connector, which would prevent access unless the whole bonnet is up and you’re a mechanic with the right tools.
“Another tip that has been suggested is to park the car with the headlights close to a wall, so thieves can’t access the area they need to get to.”
A Kent Police spokeswoman added: “We received a report that a vehicle had been stolen overnight while it was parked.
“Officers have made enquiries, including reviewing CCTV, however, no suspects have yet been identified.
“Police will review any further information should it be received.”
A Toyota spokesman said the car-maker was “fully committed to making its cars secure and safe for all customers and is continuously working on developing technical solutions to make vehicles more secure.
“We regularly collaborate and share information with insurance associations and police authorities throughout the world to help reduce this risk.
“We would also like to see an end to the devices used by criminals being available online as they serve no purpose other than a criminal one.”
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