Keyless car theft in Australia: how relay attacks work, and how to stop one.

Modern keyless cars can be stolen from your driveway without anyone touching your keys. No broken window. No alarm. Here is how it happens — and how to stop it.

The scale of the problem

How a relay attack works

It takes two people and about sixty seconds:

1. Your key fob broadcasts a short-range signal — even from inside your house.
2. One thief stands near your front door with a relay device and catches that signal.
3. A second thief stands by the car and rebroadcasts it. The car thinks the key is right there.
4. The doors unlock. The engine starts. They are gone in under a minute.

CCTV footage from Tallangatta, Victoria shows a thief using an electronic relay device to try to steal a car from the driveway. Image: Supplied via ABC News.

How a Faraday pouch stops it

A Faraday pouch is lined with a conductive metal mesh that traps radio signals. Drop the fob inside, close the flap, and the signal cannot escape. If a relay device cannot detect the key, the car will not open.

The Aus Security Key Fob Faraday Pouch is a straightforward, everyday defence:

• Shields the required frequencies: RFID, Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth.
• Secure closure: The pouch only works if fully sealed; ours is designed to close tightly every time.
• Secondary pocket: Includes a shielded slot for bank cards to prevent RFID skimming.
• Universal fit: Sized to hold standard keyless fobs across major manufacturers.

Featured on 9News

9News covered the rise of keyless “car hacking” in Australia, featuring Aus Security Products and our signal-blocking range.

Common questions

Relay theft relies entirely on your key's signal being available. Drop your keys into a shielded pouch each night, and that signal is gone.