East residents warned of theft out motor vehicles

The Citizen

06-06-2025

Local security companies, CSI and Alpha Security, have raised alarms following an increase in theft out of motor vehicles in parking lots across the east of Pretoria.
This warning comes after a recent incident where a laptop was stolen from a locked car while the victims were dining at a local fast food restaurant.
Gerhard Rossouw, operations manager at CSI Security, said the syndicates behind these crimes operate with precision.
He stated that they are seeing more and more of these types of incidents.
'Motorists must be aware of their surroundings when they park.'
'Always make sure you lock your vehicle and that no one jams the signal as you walk away,' Rossouw said.
Roelie Hendriks, director at Alpha Security, confirmed that the recent case was not a typical smash-and-grab.
'It's not a smash-and-grab. It's theft out of a motor vehicle. The car wasn't damaged.
It was opened and items taken while the victims were inside the restaurant,' Hendriks said.
According to Hendriks, signal jamming and Bluetooth scanning are some of the methods criminals use to identify which vehicles have electronics inside.
He said people often don't switch off their laptops when they leave them in their cars.
'While the laptop is on, it still runs Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in the background, and thieves use scanners to pick up those signals,' he explained.
Hendriks added that laptops can easily be detected by these scanners as criminals walk past cars, deciding which one to target.
'Never leave your laptop or electronics inside your vehicle. If you absolutely must, power it off completely and switch off all connectivity,' he advised.
He said parking lots are a prime target, particularly when car guards are distracted.
Hendriks stated that car guards check their phones and lose focus.
'Criminals just wait for the right moment, and it takes them under two minutes to do the job,' Hendriks said.
Another growing concern is signal jamming, where criminals use devices to intercept a car's locking signal.
'You would think you've locked your car, but the signal never reached the vehicle. Always double-check by testing the door handle,' Hendriks added.
Alpha Security teams are using signal jamming detectors to monitor activity in high-risk areas.
'These devices help us identify when and where jamming is happening. However, the best defence is still personal vigilance,' Hendriks said.
Tips from security companies include:
– Always power down laptops and devices fully if left in a car (though not recommended).
– Physically check your car doors after locking to confirm they're secure.
– Be aware of your surroundings, and don't get distracted by your phone.
– Never assume you're safe just because you're in a busy or 'secure' area.
'We're living in a time where the inattentive are easy targets. Stay alert; this is the Wild West out here.'
No arrests have been made in the recent laptop theft incident, and security companies are still investigating.
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