THIEVES TRACK CLASSICS IN GREATER NUMBERS
Experts urge extra vigilance but warn against ‘ bug scanners’
JAMES WILLIAMS
‘ You can buy many inspection devices online – but they are utterly useless’
Security experts say the number of classics tracked by thieves planting ‘ bugs’ is rising steadily. The devices, available from as little as £50 online, attach to the underside of your vehicle with a magnet; powered by a battery, they can then report the location of your car to whoever planted the bug in the first place, making your classic easier to steal at a later date.
Former police officer Ken German, communications director at IAATI UK (International Association of Auto Theft Investigators UK), told Classic Car Weekly that ‘ bug sweeping’ work – from professional security firms which detect planted devices – had seen an increase in business from classic car owners: ‘The capability of firms to perform this sort of service has existed for years, but them being asked to go over classic vehicles is a much more recent development. Cars are often targeted at shows, and people need to be aware of cars being targeted in this manner.’
Steven Helliwell, director of Bug Sweeping UK, said: ‘A lot of owners are complacent, they don’t think it will happen to them. Typically, the owner is distracted by someone
talking about the car and someone will attach the device then. Although Steven’s clients typically own very expensive classics – his firm inspected a £300k Aston Martin DB4 recently, for example – other marques of car are desirable for the value of their spares, which can quickly be removed and sold on, like old Land Rovers and Fords.
Director of Investigative Services at AX Innovations, Neil Thomas, says: ‘A lot of classics are getting stolen after shows. It’s definitely a growing number, I would say we get about ten enquiries about it every three months. Inspections have increased. Primarily it’s been Land Rovers, but other cars too, like E-types. Some vehicles are well-protected at home, but it’s when they go out and about they are vulnerable, such as when the owner takes the car on holiday.’
Many owners might be put off by the cost of bug sweeping inspections, but as our experts suggested, there’s a lot canny owners can do to get rid of a bug should one end up on your classic. Operations Director of QCC Global and founding director of the Technical Surveillance Countermeasures Institute, James Williams, urged owners to be aware of the sort of hiding places bugs can be hidden. ‘Generally, trackers get put behind plastic on cars, such as a bumper, so they have line of sight with the sky; putting it underneath metal may stop it from working,’ he said.
James added that many domestically available bug ‘detectors’ were unsuitable, however.‘ You can buy many inspection devices online – but they are utterly useless. It would be an waste of money for finding the sort of device used in this case, the public can’t buy anything capable of doing this, it is tightly controlled. It would be much better for the owner to just conduct their own physical inspection on their car.’
Neil Armstrong, founder of Facebook page Stolen Oldskool Fords, said that tracking devices were more commonly used to steal modern cars – but that if someone wanted to check their own vehicle, a telescopic mirror would be the most useful tool they could buy. ‘Classic thefts by bugs is a definite possibility.
‘Inspection by mirror would allow you to find hidden items in the arches and behind bumpers; that’s what I’d recommend over any electronic device.’