Bluetooth May Draw Burglars to Your Vehicle
Photo: TheDigitalWay
Bluetooth comes standard on many different devices and vehicles nowadays. While this feature can make it easier to stay connected, it can also alert burglars to the devices you leave in your vehicle.
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The dangers of Bluetooth and how to protect your car
Bluetooth allows thieves looking to steal valuables to more conveniently locate big-ticket technologies in vehicles. “They could, say, walk through this parking lot and see on their phone if there are other devices that want to connect to it,” explained Det. Nicolas Itin. “If we have Bluetooth enabled, (our devices) could be out there transmitting to other devices, saying, ‘here I am.’”
Tablets, computers, and other personal devices are commonly stolen gear, especially if a driver leaves them visible in their auto. With Bluetooth or Wi-Fi enabled, even if you hide your devices out of plain sight, burglars will still be able to know they’re in your vehicle.
There have already been numerous security issues with Bluetooth. For example, BlueBorne, a group of Bluetooth vulnerabilities, allows the easy transfer of information between devices. Other criminals have learned how to use the technology to read your text messages and listen to your phone calls.
Smash-and-grab burglaries are still more likely to occur than other car thefts, so be sure to keep your items hidden in your vehicle if you must leave them there. However, it’s also good practice to turn off your Bluetooth whenever you leave your device unattended or don’t need to use the feature.
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Turning off Bluetooth may not prevent all car thieves from targeting your auto, but it can certainly help deter some burglars and give you more peace of mind each time you exit your vehicle.
Amanda Drago lives in West Chester, Ohio with her wonderful family, which includes her adorable dog, Coco. Amanda recently graduated from Miami University with degrees in both marketing and creative writing. However, if she was ever forced to change career paths, she imagines that she would train dogs for movies. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, and watching Netflix. She also has a special place in her heart for theatre and purchases tickets to as many shows as she can. See more articles by Amanda.