It was supposed to be a spirit-lifting dinner between friends. But after one of their cars wouldn’t start, a TikTok user discovered the troubling reason behind the stone-dead car and its unresponsive key fob from a nearby police officer. 

It started with a dead car and key fob before it got a whole lot worse

TikTok user Jessica Hyde (@jessica.hyde2) was out to dinner with a friend. But when they wrapped things up and headed to their cars, they discovered that one of the cars wouldn’t come to life. “My friend went to get into her car, and she thought her battery [had] died.”

Fortunately, Hyde was able to help her friend start her car after her key fob seemed to stop working. But the reason for the annoyance wasn’t quite so simple. 

‘They can copy your key fob encryption, get into your car, and steal it’

The reason why the car wouldn’t come to life was a bit more sinister than a dead battery. “Come to find out, I got in her car, [and] started her car for her,” Hyde said. But the vehicle’s alarm went off, attracting the attention of some nearby police officers. 

The cops approached and asked if the whole party was okay. They explained the situation, and that’s when the police officer dropped the disturbing truth. One of the officers explained that there was a car thief in the parking lot. While the ladies were enjoying their dinner, the thief was using a key fob reader. 

It’s pretty common practice for today’s car thieves, too. Modern car thieves require modern solutions to bypass the latest vehicle security. One of those now-common tools of the trade is a key fob reader, also known as a duplicator or scanner. In one of these so-called “relay attacks,” thieves use the technology to intercept and copy the signal of a nearby fob and access a vehicle with keyless operation. 

You can still get into your car when your fob doesn’t work

Beyond the worrisome nature of the attempted theft, the fact that the TikTok user’s friend couldn’t use her key fob to get into her car was a headache. Fortunately, the social media-goer knew how to get into a car with a malfunctioning keyless entry system. And you can do it, too.

As she demonstrated in the video, keyless entry fobs conceal a physical key. And even with a push-to-start vehicle, you’ll likely find a small access point under the door handle. Using the key, you can remove the keyhole cover and use your key to get into your car. Consult your owner’s manual for directions related to your specific make and model. 

That’s all fine and well, but how do you protect your car from these relay attacks? For starters, consider a portable Faraday cage or pouch. A Faraday cage uses conductive materials to block electromagnetic signals. While not a perfect solution, it can make your vehicle’s fob more difficult to copy, thus making your vehicle that much trickier to steal. Similarly, some vehicle owners have had success with aluminum foil-wrapping their keys when not in use. 

MotorBiscuit reached out to @jessica.hyde2 via TikTok comment for comment.