Burglars targeted two vehicles in separate incidents in town last week — one on Tuesday on the Post Road, the other on Saturday on Hecker Avenue, Darien police said. Nothing was taken from either vehicle.
In the Saturday incident, the thieves seem to have tried to get the car open with technology designed to subvert a “digital key” — an app on a smartphone that’s used instead of a key fob on some cars. “Digital key” technology is relatively new, and thieves have sometimes been able to get it to open car doors.
Police gave the following information about the incidents:
On Tuesday, March 4, an unlocked car parked outside a Post Road home was entered. Police didn’t say that anything was taken.
Police also said, “The victim discovered signs of tampering with his vehicle, including a shifted seat and an attempt to create a new ID to operate the car.” Police provided no details about that, but the Genesis website says the company’s vehicles can be opened digitally using a smartphone:
“Genesis Digital Key 1 is a smartphone app that allows you to unlock, lock, start, and drive your Genesis without the need for a physical key. You can also share Digital Key access with up to three other people.”
The Kelly Blue Book website says the first digital key was introduced by Tesla in 2017 and today they’re used in dozens of vehicle models from various car companies.
The RatesDotCA website in Canada reported in February 2024: “Are digital keys safe? Let’s just say they’re safer. Connected devices that communicate wirelessly, including smartphones and wearables, are always at risk of being compromised, so the potential for hacking digital keys to steal a car will inevitably draw the attention of bad actors. However, these bad actors would have to be trying pretty hard to steal a car.
“In 2022, researchers identified a way to steal a Tesla Model Y by intercepting its NFC-enabled virtual key using one thief standing next to the car, and another within inches of the car’s owner.”
Hacking can also open vehicles locked with key fobs, the RatesDotCA article said. Some thieves have used a a signal boosting device to get into a car that normally would be accessed using a key fob or digital key.
On Saturday, March 8, a locked vehicle parked in the driveway of a home on Hecker Avenue (the same street where Police Headquarters is located). The victim said that two masked individuals were seen trying to enter the vehicle.
The two fled in a dark-colored Genesis sedan, which then drove to the northbound I-95 entrance ramp and got on the highway.
Police did not say what time either incident happened (even whether they happened in the day or the night) or where (or even roughly where) on either road.