Understanding A Lot of Cars Are Really Getting Stolen In Your Affluent Neighborhood

Expensive cars only are being stolen at a crazy rate in affluent neighborhoods.

Forget about the news, our office has seen a noticeable number of stolen car claims from this new type of crime wave. 

Here is what is happening: Criminal organizations are sending kids to affluent neighborhoods to steal expensive cars for the purpose of shipping them out of the country. (They use kids because the law is more lenient towards them). Here is where this is all different from the past. Most of the time the cars are not being broken into, they are looking for unlocked cars with the keys inside. This isn’t for parts, they want the entire car.

How Do They Know Your Car is Unlocked with the Keys Inside? In most expensive cars, the side mirrors turn in when you walk away with the keys. An expensive car with the mirrors out is like a neon sign saying, “Open Car With Keys Here!”

Where are Most of These Thefts Taking Place? (1) Thieves drive around nice neighborhoods looking for open side mirrors…it is that simple and easy. Many people who live in otherwise crime free neighborhoods regularly leave their keys in their car. Most of these thefts are at night, but not all. The next most used approach is (2) Thieves wait alongside places where people commonly pull up and jump out of the car to pick something up or drop off. Examples include: Gas stations when people go into the mini-mart, outside of places people often just “jump out of the car” to pick something up or drop something off; deli’s/coffee shops, pizza, dry cleaners, dinner, etc. They are waiting just feet away. Right after you jump out, they jump in…often not looking to see if there are children in the back!