My 2020 TRD Pro 4runner stolen by organized crime for resale in Africa
My beloved 2020 TRD Pro 4runner was just stolen in the night by organized crime for resale in Africa. Crazy 48 hours.
I’m posting here as a warning for anyone in USA or Canada. Police have told me 4runners are now being targeted for theft and resold in other continents on sites like jiji.ng. Just go there and search for 4runner and be amazed. Some still with their US or Canada plates on them, VIN numbers showing and all. Often being sold for higher than new price. Even 2020 and 2019 model years. UPDATE APRIL 12 2022: Unbelievably, police helped me locate it and I now have it back! UPDATE APRIL 23 2022: ARG! The same thing happened, the car was stolen again :( ... Details HERE I was able to see exactly what the thieves did to the car and I’m also posting to shed some light on their sneaky methods, but also hope to spark on some discussion on how they are doing it:
So, there you have it… I was told by police that within 24 hours it would have been loaded onto a container, and then would eventually show up for sale in Africa. These are targeted attacks, they know exactly how to disable Toyota tracking methods very quickly, and frankly, it’s downright upsetting. |
Have you disabled the Smart Key system since this happened? I've been meaning to test this on my new 4Runner.
I recall I did this once on a different Toyota car. I think I was able to disable *only* the proximity unlock and proximity push to start. The older (and different) tech that allows the button-pressed lock/unlock function from the FOB still worked. I could only start the car by holding the key right up against the push to start button. I believe this reads a RFID chip in the key FOB and that's why it must be held within an inch or two. I don't know if the key continues to broadcast whatever it uses for the proximity functions but it shouldn't matter if the truck won't accept it, I would hope. |
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I love rentals and my wife’s car for keyless but knowing this and how sophisticated thieves and hackers are becoming has me thankful for the good ol key turn ignition. Just wished manual was an option for millennial thieves….
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
This isn't a targeted attack on 4Runners. This is how many cars are being stolen these days. I've had various Challengers and Chargers stolen from the dealer I managed. Hyundais and Kias are also common targets as they're very easy to bypass the security system.
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Wow, that's a wild story. Glad you got it back though sorry they hacked it up. I went to that site and see one T4R with Texas plates and another with California plates. :mad:
One more reason why I'm glad I have a garage to park in. |
This makes me want to remove the batteries from my key fobs now every night.
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@lets_go_4running
Drama much? Just 3 dumb questions for you........ 1) If they used an apple airtag... why would they need to get access to your paperwork at the carwash to know your address? 2) What the difference between a "A malicious Apple AirTag" and a normal everyday Apple airtag? 3) If you had an alleged "malicious Apple AirTag" in your possession, why wasn't it given to law enforcement so they could track the owner/account it's tied to. (yes they can, and will) |
Just bought this:
Amazon.com: Faraday Key Fob Protector Box, RFID Signal Blocking Box, Faraday Box Signal Blocking Shielding Box for Car Key (L) : Automotive Did not want a bag. Box looks more decorative. Should receive it next week. I'll let you guys know if it works. |
My 2022 fob has a battery saver feature. It turns off the fob, thus it can work as anti theft.
You hold down the lock button and press the unlock button twice. The red light flashes twice 2 times then you release the lock button. Fob is then off. For example you cannot open doors by putting your hand in the handle. You have to turn the fob back on by pressing the unlock button. I do this every time I leave the vehicle. |
@nglayton
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We will likely never see 4runner on the "top 10 stolen cars" lists simply because there are much fewer of them on the road compared to say a Honda Civic. |
Do you not have iPhones? I put AirTags in our cars as cheap trackers. My wife got a notification within 10 minutes of driving that someone was tracking her via air tag and offered to show her how to disable it. Based on the location you stated, ours are also further away than your malicious one was
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There are several other ways the track the cars than Air Pods and there would not be any notification. Plus, someone could just drive through neighborhoods to identify cars they want to steal later.
The bigger issue is that the software to program a new Smart Key to start the ignition is out in the wild like this. It's also concerning Toyota (and others) have not found a way to prevent the relay and amplification of the signal to unlock the doors. |
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