What Happens When a Thief Stole the Unstealable Car?

Posted by Alex in Car & Vehicle, Crime & Law on August 22, 2006 at 1:02 am


From the website:

Last summer Emad Wassef walked out of a Target store in Orange County, California, to find a big space where his 2003 Lincoln Navigator had been. The 38-year-old truck driver and former reserve Los Angeles police officer did what anyone would do: He reported the theft to the cops and called his insurance company.

Two weeks later, the black SUV turned up near the Mexico border, minus its stereo, airbags, DVD player, and door panels. Wassef assumed he had a straightforward claim for around $25,000. His insurer, Chicago-based Unitrin Direct, disagreed.

Wassef’s Navigator, like half of all late-model domestic cars on the road today, is equipped with a transponder antitheft system: The ignition key is embedded with a tiny computer chip that sends a unique radio signal to the vehicle’s onboard computer. Without the signal, the car won’t start. And Wassef still had both of his keys.

The insurance company sent a forensic examiner to check out the disemboweled SUV in an impound lot. The ignition lock, mounted on the steering column, had been forcibly rotated, probably with a screwdriver. The locking lug on the steering wheel, which keeps it from being turned when the truck is not in gear, had also been damaged. But the transponder system was intact. The car could have been shifted and steered, the investigator concluded, but the engine couldn’t have been turned on. “Since you reportedly can account for all the vehicle keys, the forensic information suggests that the loss did not occur as reported,” the company wrote to Wassef, denying his claim. The barely hidden subtext: Wassef was lying.

Link – via GeekPress

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COMMENT

12 comments to "What Happens When a Thief Stole the Unstealable Car?"

  1. aApe
    August 22nd, 2006 at 2:32 am

    lying? well the 'victim' was a cop. ppl drawn to that line of work aren't known for their sterling character, or intellect, as evidenced by this case.

  2. Miss Cellania
    August 22nd, 2006 at 4:32 am

    Could it be possible that the device didn't work? What? technology failing? Um, its happened before. Anyone who owns a car knows that ANYTHING can break down.

  3. Tim Wells
    August 22nd, 2006 at 5:51 am

    Does anyone know what insurance company it was? That way I will change if it is mine.

  4. mikeman
    August 22nd, 2006 at 6:14 am

    While a great concept, having chips in keys, this is not a cure all. Leaving your vehicle at a service station for an oil change or any service work could be enough to get your vehicle stolen. The grease monkey could take the key you left, go to the dealership and have a duplicate made, returning the original keys to you at the end of your service work. Then following you after the work is done, learning where you live, he could plan to make the heist a few days later, perhaps when you're doing your grocery shopping. He could steal the vehicle, unlocking doors, and turning the ignition using one of the factory supplied keys to your vehicle.

    There is no absolute theft solution; even security measures used are referred to as "theft deterrents".

  5. ess
    August 22nd, 2006 at 7:02 am

    Silly story - had this actually happened, the insurance company would be forced to cover the loss (if there is a standard policy in force as is suggested).

  6. ted
    August 22nd, 2006 at 7:17 am

    So why wouldn't he pretend that one of his keys were stolen, if he was going to go to all that trouble to fake the theft? Surely he knew about the chip.
    Strange case.

  7. DANNY
    August 22nd, 2006 at 10:12 am

    THIS VEHICLE NEED BE AT THE DEALERSHIP IN ORDER TO SUCCESFULLY DUPLICATE A KEY AND NEEDS TO HAVE THE NEW CUT KEY PROGRAMED BY THE DEALERSHIP TO MATCH THE REST OF THE KEYS. AT TIME OF PROGRAM MODE ALL KEYS NEEDTO BE THERE TO REPROGRAM AT THE SAME TIME. OTHER WISE REMAIDING KEYS WILL NOT WORK.

  8. Chad
    August 22nd, 2006 at 12:49 pm

    anyone working for a car stereo/alarm store as an installer will have access to gadgetry that can easily disable the starter kill circuits in these vehicles (how else do you think they can install a remote start system?) I sure hope this guy has a good lawyer and I really hope he spreads the word about his insurance company!

  9. Nonchalant Savant
    August 22nd, 2006 at 2:23 pm

    Very interesting article - and not surprising that an insurance company would try to weasel out of a legitimate claim.

    Yeah, insurance companies - I said WEASEL. You had your chance to comment on this story, and chose to be weasely.

    Vermin.

  10. Alex
    August 23rd, 2006 at 3:46 am

    Anything can be stolen, if the thieves set their mind on it - at best, alarms are theft-deterrent.

  11. Diana
    September 22nd, 2006 at 5:38 pm

    I know this guy personally and he flies striaght, I wish I could get in touch with him, so if anyone has informaion, have him respond

  12. jj
    March 14th, 2007 at 2:28 pm

    this system was hacked along time ago, you just need a laptop to send the proper signals to the computer, and the signals can easily be captured.


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