Motorists can breathe a sigh of relief: the FBI report shows that number of motor vehicle thefts in the U.S. declined by about 3% in 2011 in comparison with the previous year. Moreover, statistics says that the current situation with motor vehicle thefts is the best since 1967. But auto insurance companies note that along with the development of sophisticated new methods of protecting cars again theft, new ways of stealing cars also appear. Car thieves tend to become ever more creative. The traditional way of getting access into another person’s car through broken window is no longer popular with modern criminals. It’s hardly surprising, since this way of taking possession of a motor vehicle brings about additional problems. To sell a stolen car criminals need first to replace the broken glass, and that involves risk and loss of time.
The main method used by modern thieves is making a key for the motor vehicle they plan to steal. To get a new key made without provision of the old key, you must provide your vehicle’s ID number. This unique number is entered into a database to receive a unique key code, which is used for making a new key. According to the current U.S. laws, you may not get a new car key made until you submit a document confirming your ownership of the car.
One common way used by criminals to illegally get a replacement key for a certain car is to take help of an accomplice working at a dealership or a locksmith and having direct access to the key code database. In this case it's enough to know the car's VIN to get a new key made. Another way is to make a false title for the car and submit it when going to key cutters’ or to a dealership.
According to the information provided by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, criminals committed about 300 car thefts using the above new methods during the first quarter of 2011.
In order to protect your own car you need to follow some reasonable precautions. First, be sure to close the car so that criminals could not get access to the VIN. It’s also recommended to install a modern car alarm or another sophisticated anti-theft device. Finally, provide adequate car insurance to get a refund in case your car is still stolen.