New hijacking trend to look out for in South Africa

Hijackings continue to be a major thorn in the side of the South African Police Service (SAPS), with its latest quarterly data showing a further steep increase across the country, leading to a car being stolen every 22 minutes.
A total of 5,866 hijackings were reported across the country between April and June 2022 – a 14% increase from the 5,146 hijackings reported over the same period the previous year.
Hijackings are also up quarter-on-quarter, climbing 8.6% from 5,402 cases recorded in Q4 2021/2022. Looking at hijacking trends over the three-month period, there was a sharp jump in May, followed by a decline in June.
The findings are mirrored by claims data from insurer, Dialdirect. Equally concerning for insurers is the prevalence of relay and Controller Area Network (CAN)-Bus attacks targeting high-end vehicles, the financial services firm said. Can-Bus is the network protocol that manages all of the vehicle’s electronic signals.
“Criminals are using technical equipment to either relay the signal from the key back to the vehicle or to access the Can-Bus of the vehicle through the electrical harness, and then emulate an emergency start protocol. Vehicles equipped with keyless entry or emergency start functionality are being targeted,” said Anneli Retief, head of Dialdirect.
A video recently shared by the South African Insurance Crime Bureau (SAICB) shows that criminals can use relay attack technology to steal a vehicle from outside your home, even if your key is inside.
Retief said that when it comes to both hijackings and relay attacks, it’s crucial for motorists to be vigilant, understand the modus operandi of criminals, and take proactive steps to avoid falling victim.
The most common relay attack modus operandi, according to the SAICB, is the following:
- The perpetrators work in teams. An individual in possession of the amplifying device walks close to the unsuspecting owner when they exit and leave the vehicle, while an accomplice at the vehicle gains access and drives off with it.
- Perpetrators have devices that read signals transmitted by key fobs, record their unique signatures and then transfer them to a duplicate key fob – just like making a copy of a key.
To avoid becoming a victim of a relay attack, Ibrahim Kurubally, spokesperson for the SAICB, said it’s wise to always keep an eye out for suspicious individuals and be even more alert in high-risk areas, but the most effective way of avoiding these attacks is to disable the key fob transmission.
“Most vehicle manufacturers make it possible for vehicle owners to disable and enable this feature at the press of a button, as shown in this video. It may be a slight inconvenience, but it’s well worth it if your vehicle’s security is at stake.”
Read: Big jump in hijackings in South Africa – these are the hotspot areas and trends to look out for